Facing problems
by Dark-lil-devil
Summary: FionaKarl, then Fiona joins a gang...that Raven leads? And she becomes a new woman.
1. Chapter 1

Chap 1: One upon a very long day........  
  
Warning:  
  
Ah, well, I'm only 13, so I can't make this so people of 13 years can't read it, 'cause then I couldn't know what I was typing,  
  
(if that made any sense, give yourself a pat on the back, I re-worded it about five times!!)  
  
so, a bit of bad language, just a *tiny* bit, and maybe a few kisses later, I dunno, oh, prob guy/guy as well, who knows?  
  
Not me!!!  
  
Disclaimer: Ah, nope, not mine, nope, don't own it!!!  
  
Get it? NOT MINE!!!!  
  
I only take credit for my idea's/whatever hell I put someone elses characters through!!!!!!  
  
*~**~*  
  
Hey, I'm Dark Devil, and this is my first fic, Zoids or not!!  
  
Ah, make no comment about the title, if you please!!  
  
It's a sore spot......aren't writers supposed to think of a decent title for their work?!  
  
Just look at mine...no, don't!  
  
It's too shamefull...........  
  
Now, random, but I GOT A PAPER CUT AND IT HURTS!!!!!!  
  
Ah, has anybody seen what colour Van's eyes are?  
  
I know, random, but all the images I've got, his eyes are black, just black, without even a colour around the pupil, so for now, his eyes are black.  
  
(and as I edit this, I remember that Moonbay's are as well!)  
  
......even though that's totaly gross.....black eyes.......heh, I like the colour black.....well.....lack of colour black, as black is the absense of colour or light, it's my fav colour, but that is disturbing, not to see someones pupils..........aha, I'm rambling on in my thoughts, which I can type down, slowly then I can think of them, but still type them down, so yeah.........  
  
*~**~*  
  
"Urghh."  
  
Rolling off of his bed, onto the ground, 15 year old Van Flyheight decided yet again, that he hated getting up for school.  
  
"What's the point?"  
  
'To learn how to be a zoids pro?'  
  
Ignoring the sensible voice in his mind, Van had a shower, tied his hair back, then decided what to wear.  
  
'Man, everyone thinks girls take forever to get ready, 'cause they think about their appearances to much, what about us guys? Heh, we probably think to much of what we look like ourselves to notice anyone else.'  
  
When he realised he shouldn't be bothering, he had a uniform to wear, Van slapped himself on the forehead, chucked on the long black baggy pants, and the white sleeveless top, with a black zip-up vest as well, he raced into the kitchen.  
  
Opening the fridge, he wondered why it was empty, then realised that he had forgotten to shop, and as his sister was away on a school trip for her school, he had no food.  
  
"Shit. Ah well, guess I'll have to pick something up from the corner shop......"  
  
Grabbing his backpack, he shoved a pile of books and a pencil case into it, grabbed some lunch money, slipped into his sneakers, and headed out the door.  
  
Locking it, he went out front of the two storey house, grabbed his hoverboard, and headed for the shops.  
  
*~*  
  
"Forgot breakfast again, Van?"  
  
"Shaddup, Irvine. It's not funny!"  
  
Fiona managed to stop giggling enough that the group of three could continue walking to the shops.  
  
"Well, did you?"  
  
"Yeah, ever since she left on that dumb trip, I've had nothing to eat from home."  
  
"Why don't you throw a party before she gets back?"  
  
All three turned to see Moonbay, dressed in the girls uniform like Fiona was, black skirt, tight white top, and a black vest, approaching them on her hoverboard.  
  
The group proceeded, Moonbay and Van carrying their boards.  
  
"So, what class do we have first?"  
  
Fiona glanced up from her schedule and answered Moonbay,  
  
"I've got science after English, wait, it is day three, right?"  
  
"Yeah, that's such a stupid way. I mean, why have it seven day schedules, when there's only five school days in a week? It put things out of balance, Like, the third day, Wednesday, right? Nope, this week, it's Friday!"  
  
Irvine shoved Van onto the road, which had no cars approaching, fortunately, and commented,  
  
"It seems like we've had this conversation before, when I wonder? Only every day!!!"  
  
Laughing, the four reached the shop, and waited outside while Van got some food.  
  
*~*  
  
"So, good morning everybody!!"  
  
The three waiting turned to face the owner of the voice, who had exited the shop with Van.  
  
"Karl!! Morning!!"  
  
Running over, Fiona gave him a hug, then linked fingers with him.  
  
"You know, Fiona, your like a midget next to him."  
  
Poking her tongue out at Moonbay, Fiona blushed when Karl gave her hand a squeeze, and lifted her up so her head was the same height as his.  
  
"Is that good enough for you, Moonbay?"  
  
"Oh, shuddap Shoeboltz."  
  
"But I haven't said anything yet!"  
  
The group turned to it's new arrival, Thomas.  
  
"Hey, Thomas."  
  
"I didn't mean you, I meant Karl. He's to busy to say hi to you though, holding Fiona up must be strenuous."  
  
As soon as she had said it, Moonbay was off at a run, laughing, towards their school.  
  
"MOONBAY!!!! I'LL GET YOU!!!"  
  
Laughing also, Fiona got Karl to put her down, with some struggle, and took off after Moonbay, water bottle as a weapon.  
  
Laughing, the others followed, but at a fast walk, not a run.  
  
"So, Van, are you gunn'a have a party, like Moonbay wants you to?"  
  
"What, and have her trash my house? No thanks, Irvine, I'd rather-"  
  
"Wait, Van, your a bit too descriptive sometimes, don't finish that sentence, please."  
  
"Yeah, stuff you to, Karl."  
  
Grinning, Van tried to shove the older, stronger, hotter, and much more talented teenager onto the road.  
  
"Dream on Van."  
  
*~*  
  
"Alright, class, settle down!!"  
  
The teachers calls were to no avail, and it ended up with,  
  
"Mr Flyheight!! I have called for silence, and yet you disobey! How do you plead?"  
  
"Ah, man, umm, what will get me less detention?"  
  
"Guess!!!!"  
  
"Uh, guilty?"  
  
"Aha! I knew it!! Detention after school, and I advise you to keep quiet from now on!!"  
  
Leaning back in his chair, Van mumbled to Thomas about how he hates 'stupid bloody lawyers who become teacher's.  
  
Fiona didn't get off to a good start that day, either, in her form room, all the others were a year older then her, but as she was small for her age, she was treated with the least amount of respect.  
  
"Hey, HEY!! Settle down!!!!!"  
  
As the teacher called for silence, Irvine leant over to her, whispering about how Van was going to have a party, but didn't know about it yet, but was interrupted by somebody yelling out,  
  
"Ooh, Irvine likes shortie!!!"  
  
And another,  
  
"Sir, Irvine and Fiona were whispering about you!!"  
  
The teacher turned on them, and asked,  
  
"Is that true?"  
  
"No, Mr Herman."  
  
"What were you whispering about, then?"  
  
"About how-"  
  
"How that's none of your business and how much we're going to enjoy the detention your going to give us."  
  
Fiona gave Irvine the death glare, she could have gotten out of that detention, but he smirked, and was heard to say,  
  
"If I go down, you go down!"  
  
Moonbay sat there, laughing at them both, enjoying herself, but then,  
  
"Moonbay!! Pay attention!!!"  
  
"Yessir.......HAHAHAHA!"  
  
"Alright, you can join them in detention, and maybe you'll learn not to laugh at others then."  
  
"Shit."  
  
"What was that?"  
  
"Oh, Umm, I like to stay fit?"  
  
"Thought so, just watch yourself."  
  
Moonbay sat back in her seat, not a trace of amusement about her, as Irvine laughed openly at her.  
  
Sighing, Herman shook his head.  
  
How could he live through this, every day?  
  
*~*  
  
When the bell rang for break, Fiona headed to her locker, which was next to Moonbay's.  
  
"Hey, Fiona."  
  
"Hey."  
  
Placing a book into her locker, Fiona exploded.  
  
"Why'd he do that?! I coulda gotten out of it, but no, he had to drag me down!!!!"  
  
"What's so bad about a detention?"  
  
"I've been trying to get a clean record this year, but with Irvine as a friend? Who needs an enemy?"  
  
"Huh, true."  
  
They were silent for a moment, but not for lack of noise, the corridors were full of screaming teenagers, there wasn't a quiet moment in sight, or sound.  
  
Feeling a hand around her waist, Fiona spun around.  
  
"Karl!!"  
  
Relaxing in his grip, she sighed.  
  
"I can't go with you tonight, I got detention."  
  
"Huh? You got detention?"  
  
"Yeah, I coulda gotten outta it, but Irvine made it worse, so me and him are in after school, then Moonbay got in for laughing at us."  
  
"Shame."  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
Both turned to see Moonbay, momentarily forgotten, fuming.  
  
"Pardon? I thought I heard you dissing me, Karl?!"  
  
"That's right."  
  
Calmly, Karl shrugged, kissed Fiona on the forehead, and stalked off.  
  
Sighing, Fiona closed her eyes, and leant against her locker.  
  
"So, what did you have to cancel with Karl?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You said you couldn't go with him tonight, where?"  
  
"Oh, you know, around."  
  
"Hey, I tell you stuff, you tell me!"  
  
"Fine, we were gunna, well, we were gunna hang out with some of his friends, go to a party."  
  
'And then go back to his place, man, he's so cute!!'  
  
"And then?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You always go to party's with him, but you've never acted like this. What else were you going to do?"  
  
"Oh, um, nothing........look! There's Raven!"  
  
"Huh? Where?!"  
  
"Ha, got ya!"  
  
"Hey! Not funny!"  
  
"What? It's not my fault you've always crushed on him-"  
  
BRINNNNNGG!!!  
  
"Damn, class. See ya, I've got zoid piloting next!! You know how Mr Hiltz hates it when I'm late!"  
  
Moonbay ran off, joining up with Irvine as they entered class.  
  
*~*  
  
"Right, class. Today we'll be learning more basic skills for the level 15's, some stealth understanding for level 16, and some practise at flying in a pteris for levels 17 and 18 will will be helping me repair this gunsniper we found."  
  
The class burst into whispers, of excitement, and boredom.  
  
"Cool, a gunsniper."  
  
"Man, not more basic skills,"  
  
"Practise? Does that mean simulation or for real?"  
  
"Reese, who you know already, as she works here for me part-time, will take group 15, 16 will be supervised by the older students on detention leave."  
  
"Detention leave?"  
  
Irvine's confused whisper was answered by another, but not Moonbay.  
  
"It's where we pay back detention in our free time, helping the teachers instead of staying after school."  
  
"Karl!"  
  
"Hey, Shoeboltz."  
  
"Hey, Irvine."  
  
"Wait, Karl, I thought you never got detention?"  
  
Shrugging, the older guy listened to his instructions, ignoring Moonbay's glares.  
  
"Level 16, you go with this guy, Mr O'Connell, level 17, your with Mr Shoeboltz, and there's no 18 in this class, so I'll work with all of you, revolving around."  
  
Karl motioned level 17 to him, grinning at Irvine, who fell behind the others, his indifferent gaze betrayed by his keen eyes.  
  
Moonbay sighed, going with her group, 16, annoyed that she was stuck with five other losers.  
  
*~*  
  
Lunch came, and as the others weren't in any of her classes until then, Fiona was glad to slide into a booth next to Karl.  
  
"I've forgotten, why don't we just eat at school?"  
  
Moonbay sighed, and turned to face Van.  
  
"Van, we've told you before, just because you can digest that crap cook Prozen calls food, doesn't mean we can. It's healthier for us to just go for a walk and eat here."  
  
"Right."  
  
Smiling, Fiona snuggled up to Karl, who was talking to Irvine.  
  
"-so there's more pull on it, and the hydraulics have to be readjusted to......"  
  
"What? Hello?"  
  
Karl gazed to where Irvine was looking, and saw what had stopped him in mid- sentence.  
  
Raven.  
  
"What the hell's he doing here?"  
  
"Who?"  
  
All of them,  
  
(Irvine, Karl, Fiona, Thomas, Van, and Moonbay (who just happened to blush at the sight) )  
  
raised their gaze to where the grey haired boy was ordering.  
  
"Him."  
  
"Asshole."  
  
Fiona, Moonbay and Thomas instinctively pulled Van back to his seat when he stood, and told him to stay.  
  
"What do you know? Maybe he'll leave as soon as he finishes, and we won't have to be in another fight."  
  
Karl watched this with interest, and asked,  
  
"Do you know him?"  
  
"Yeah, he's this freak that's always fighting us, and somehow he wins most of the time."  
  
"To hell he does!! Dream on!! Who's side are you on, anyway, Fiona?"  
  
Ignoring this, Fiona turned back to face Karl.  
  
"Why? Do you know him?"  
  
"Kind of. You know Reese, my friend?"  
  
"Yeah, she's cool."  
  
"That's her younger brother."  
  
"HIM?!"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"I see no resemblance."  
  
Van and the others were trying to work out who Reese was.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
They watched as Raven approached them, takeaways in hand, saw Karl, nodded his head slightly, and changed direction for the exit.  
  
"Why'd he leave?"  
  
Van was stumped, but Fiona knew.  
  
"He nodded to you, didn't he?"  
  
".....Yeah, you could say that."  
  
"Uh, Karl?"  
  
"Yeah, Thomas?"  
  
"Uh, why?"  
  
"Well, there's something I know that I'm not going to tell you guys, so drop it."  
  
"WHAT???!!"  
  
"I'm not going to tell you, it's not my place to tell."  
  
Fiona shrugged, and gave the others a glare that said, 'drop it', before turning to a big plate of fries they were sharing, grabbed one, and coated it in sauce.  
  
"Yum."  
  
When she finished that one, Fiona watched as Karl grabbed one, dipped it in the sauce, and went to eat it, so she quickly grabbed it from his unsuspecting grip, chucking it in her mouth.  
  
"Hey....."  
  
"Is for horses, yes, I know."  
  
Laughing, Fiona grabbed one and gave it to Karl, who instead of taking it from her hand, grabbed it with his teeth, sucking on her fingers before she released the chip to him.  
  
"Ass."  
  
"Bitch."  
  
"Woof woof."  
  
They grinned at each other, grabbed a chip each, and stole the others from their hands.  
  
"Ok, guys? Hello?"  
  
"Yeah, Irvine?"  
  
Fiona answered him, but kept her gaze on a chip Karl was planning to eat.  
  
"Do you mind? I mean, we're all trying to eat, and worse, the same stuff you two are making us sick over!!"  
  
While they talked, Moonbay and Thomas had grabbed a handful of chips each, and acted it out.  
  
"Oh, Karl, feed me that chip!!!"  
  
"Sure, Fiona!!"  
  
Shoving the whole handful into Moonbay's face, Thomas received what he gave, Moonbay's fistful had found his face.  
  
"Very funny."  
  
"Amusing."  
  
Fiona and Karl separated, but kept side by side, and ate their own food, playing footsies instead.  
  
Irvine couldn't figure out why Fiona kept shrieking with laughter, but then realised something, and shot a glance under the table, to see them playing footsies, but when he emerged to accuse them, he got a thump on the head.  
  
"Irvine!! We're wearing skirts, you perve!!!!"  
  
When Moonbay said this, she realised her mistake, and quickly tucked her skirt in all around, folding her right leg over her left, Fiona following suit, while Van and Thomas quickly glanced under the table.  
  
"Ow."  
  
"That sucks, we didn't see anything, and she still hurts us!"  
  
Van and Thomas supported sore heads on the way back to school, already looking forward to the end of school.  
  
*~*  
  
"- so in 1918 on earth, the armistice was signed, ending the first world war-"  
  
BRINNNGG!!  
  
(so what? they're in history, and that's what I'm studying, it wont leave me alone, so lets say they're in.... History; Earth. deal?)  
  
"Alright, class dismissed, I want a two page essay on how the armistice was signed, when and where, what were the terms of it.  
  
(funny, I seem to remember doing that half an hour ago......)  
  
Class dismissed."  
  
Fiona grabbed her bag, and walked out, talking to a random person that didn't think she was an annoying midget who's lying about her age, when she saw Raven standing in the hall, leaning against her locker.  
  
Finishing the conversation, she walked over and said,  
  
"Er, 'scuse me, can I get into my locker, please?"  
  
Raven didn't move, he just blinked.  
  
"Um, Raven? Can I get in....please?"  
  
He wordlessly moved aside, not letting his eyes leave her.  
  
With the hairs standing on her neck, Fiona shoved her books into the locker, grabbed some stuff she needed to finish over the weekend, and closed the locker, to find him still staring at her.  
  
Taking a deep breathe, she turned to face him.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Oh, nothing."  
  
His voice was light, carefree, but his gaze and posture was otherwise.  
  
Unnerved, Fiona left, knowing well that he followed her.  
  
She saw Irvine ahead, and tried to calm down, then ran over to him.  
  
"Hey Irvine."  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Listen, do you want to go somewhere or do something?"  
  
"Hello? We've got detention?"  
  
"Oh shit. I forgot."  
  
"Well, we're late, so let's get there."  
  
"Right."  
  
*~*  
  
"Urgh, detention sucks!!!!!!"  
  
"Shut up, Moonbay!!!"  
  
There was about twenty people in detention that day, apparently there had been a fight during lunch, and Moonbay, Irvine, Fiona and a few others sat in a corner, talking, unnoticed.  
  
"Well what's the point of it?!"  
  
"Let's use this time to plan Van's party for him!!"  
  
"Great idea Irvine, Fiona, got any paper?"  
  
Fiona just kept staring at the wall, thinking about what Raven had been doing.  
  
Why follow her?  
  
"Fiona?"  
  
Giving her friend a gentle shove, Moonbay repeated,  
  
"Got any paper?"  
  
"Here."  
  
Grabbing a spare book from her bag, Fiona passed it to Moonbay, then lapsed into her thoughts again.  
  
"Right......well, what will we need?"  
  
"Music. Food. A pool."  
  
Irvine appeared to know everything about party's, having been to so many, and having so many of his own.  
  
"First, music. A band or a radio."  
  
"Radio, we don't have much of a budget. Can you bring your C.D's?"  
  
"Sure, can you bring yours?"  
  
"Yep, now the....food."  
  
"Food, food, food, food, food."  
  
"Yeah, food."  
  
"Well, caterer?"  
  
"No, finger food, you know, chips, cans of drink, cheap stuff."  
  
"Sweet, now, a pool?"  
  
Moonbay raised one eye, and waited for Irvine to explain.  
  
"Well, a pool increases enjoyment by almost 50%, it's the ultimate."  
  
"So your suggesting we use Van's pool?"  
  
"It's a bit small, but it'll do."  
  
"So we'll use our C.D's, buy cheap food, and use the pool?"  
  
"Yep, now, how many people do you think we can get in Van's house?"  
  
"I dunno, half the school?"  
  
Laughing, the two wrote a list of 20 people, then went to those that were in detention, explained when and where to go, and that they could bring up to what, three others.  
  
"Yeah, the house can't fit much more then that, but beggars can't be chosers."  
  
Irvine finished with a shrug, and returned to his desk in the corner, next to Moonbay, and ticked off the list.  
  
"Moonbay, we've got about twelve people left, who can you ring tonight?"  
  
"Well, I know those five personally, I can get those three, and, well, I guess I could ask him later, he works at the takeouts tonight, so, can you get.....her.....him....and......her."  
  
"Deal. Next, we buy the food, then tell Van."  
  
"Shouldn't we tell Van first?"  
  
"And give him the chance to cancel it?"  
  
"Right, tell Van last."  
  
'Why did he follow me? Why was he at my locker? Why......what the hell is Moonbay doing?'  
  
"Moonbay? What are you doing?"  
  
"Huh? Sshh, I just told you, I'm going to make a break for it, Irvine's already out."  
  
"He.....he is?"  
  
"Yep. You were daydreaming, so I figure you have to stay and sign our names in the leaving book, right?"  
  
(yeah, um, I decided that they have to sign a book at the start and end of detention, to prove they were there and all)  
  
"Whatever."  
  
Fiona watched as Moonbay gently dropped out the window, trying her hardest to keep her skirt right.  
  
Shaking her head, Fiona went back to daydreaming, waiting for the time to be over.  
  
*~*  
  
BRINNNNGG!!  
  
"Sweet."  
  
"Please sign as you leave."  
  
Signing her name, as well as Moonbay and Irvine's, Fiona slung her bag on, and trudged through the door, wondering what she wanted to do.  
  
'Man, I'm gunna kill Irvine!! I wanted so badly to go out with Karl today, a perfect Friday, and IRVINE got me in detention!! Now Karl's out having fun, and I'm stuck bored, probably just going to do my homework all night. How fucking BORING!!!'  
  
Leaving schools grounds, Fiona kicked at stones that strayed into her path, not realising or caring that she was being followed.  
  
Turning down a street, Fiona figured she'd just ring Moonbay, see if they were going to have a party still, maybe help them tell Van without getting killed, the usual.  
  
A shrill sound broke the silence, and Fiona reached into her bag, bringing out a book, opened it up, grabbed her mobile from in it, and answered,  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
There was interference, so she stopped walking, and it cleared up.  
  
"Fiona?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"It's Raven."  
  
"Raven?"  
  
"Yeah, what are you doing?"  
  
"Nothing, why?"  
  
"Well, that's good, can you meet me at the park?"  
  
"I dunno, why?"  
  
"Just can you? Now?"  
  
"Uh, alright."  
  
"Great, I'll be waiting."  
  
Hanging up, Fiona wondered,  
  
'What the hell was that about? Do I go? Why not?'  
  
Deciding on going, Fiona redirected course for the local park, wondering what Raven was about.  
  
Turning the next corner, Fiona thought she could hear someone, and saw a guy walking behind her.  
  
Quickening her pace, she'd never been that comfortable about strangers, Fiona turned the next corner, to find the guy quickened his pace as well.  
  
Now starting to freak out, she grabbed her phone, and went to ring someone, when the battery went dead.  
  
Turning another corner, she heard the guy quickening his pace, and she started to run.  
  
Now the guy was sprinting after her, and she was at the park.  
  
Looking around, she saw a group of guys, a playground, and on one of the swings, Raven.  
  
Relief flooded all over her, and she ran over to the familiar sight.  
  
Running over, she sat in the swing next to Raven's, catching her breathe.  
  
Hearing laughter, she looked up to see the guy and Raven conversing in quiet voices, the guy laughing at something Raven had said.  
  
"Raven?"  
  
The afternoon light was playing a joke on her, surely, he couldn't be smiling, he NEVER smiled.  
  
"Oh, Fiona."  
  
Nodding to the guy, Raven turned to face her, still smiling.  
  
"I noticed your going out with Karl Shoeboltz."  
  
"Uh...yeah, I am."  
  
"I also noticed that he tells you things, most probably things he wouldn't tell other people."  
  
Where the hell was this going?  
  
Completely confused, Fiona arched an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.  
  
"I guess he's told you about his friends."  
  
"Uh, I've met a few of them, and heard of some others, yeah."  
  
"Have you met Reese?"  
  
"Uh, yeah, and isn't she your sister?"  
  
"Yep. I guess he told you that?"  
  
"Yeah, today."  
  
"What else did he tell you?"  
  
So Fiona explained how Van had wanted to know why Raven had retreated, and how it had slipped into the conversation about Reese and Raven, and then that he had declared that he wouldn't share info, how she had shrugged, then when Fiona started to describe the whole fries thing, Raven interrupted.  
  
"Right, is that all that's relevant?"  
  
"Um, I suppose so, I don't know what it's relevant to, but probably."  
  
He smirked again, and looked over to the group of guys.  
  
"They look pretty strong, right?"  
  
"Uh, yeah."  
  
"What, strong enough to rape someone?"  
  
"Uh, probably."  
  
"Strong enough to rape you?"  
  
'What the hell is he getting at?'  
  
"Uh, probably."  
  
"You know, I could get Reese to help you, get stronger, so you could defend yourself."  
  
"Uh, thanks, but can I ask why?"  
  
"Oh? Uh, sorry, I forgot you can't read minds. Uh, the guy I sent to make sure no-one would harm you, and he said you acted very, wary, of him, and then started to run when he kept to your pace. We figured that either you've been raped, know someone who has, or your very cautious. For now, let's say your cautious, I don't want to bother with stories that will determinedly make someone miserable.So I figure that you could use a moral booster, and Reese can teach you self defence, you up for it?"  
  
'Forgot I can't read minds?! Who does he know that can to make him forget?!'  
  
"Uh, sure.......but why'd you want to talk to me?"  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to see how much Karl's been telling people, and as your the closest to him....."  
  
Raven shrugged, then stood up, signalling to the group of guys.  
  
One of the guys came over.  
  
"Vincent, can you escort Miss Fiona here back to......uh, where will you be going?"  
  
"Um, I'll probably be going home, to recharge my phone, and then to Moonbay's or Van's or someone's, who knows?"  
  
"So, where's your place?"  
  
"Uh,"  
  
Fiona was surprised.  
  
After living here for ages, she had no idea of what road she lived on.  
  
"Um, my place? I honestly don't know."  
  
"Uh,"  
  
Raven had a coughing fit, suspiciously like a laughing fit, before he could ask,  
  
"Do you know how to get there?"  
  
"Yeah, it's the way to Irvine's place, then take a right and go to Van's, then Moonbay's, two road's after that, the cute purple letter-box!!"  
  
Raven couldn't hide this amount of laughter, and after he got it under control, he asked,  
  
"You remember where your friends live, but you barely know where you live?!"  
  
"Um, yeah?"  
  
Raven was taken over with laughter again, and waved a hand.  
  
The guy, Vincent?, said,  
  
"Just walk home like normal, I shall follow, but do not worry. If you are in danger, I'll defend you, but you must not tell anybody I am there"  
  
"Uh, sure."  
  
As she left, Fiona saw a glimpse of Raven talking to the group of guys, then he started to fight them, but in a way that suggested it was a routine.  
  
*~*  
  
Opening the door to her house, well, her and her familles small house, Fiona glanced back to see the guy give her the slightest wave, before disappearing into the shadows again.  
  
Shaking her head, Fiona closed the door, walked into the lounge, chucked her bag in a corner, pulled a bean bag into the sun, and tanned, while thinking.  
  
*~*  
  
She was brought out of her deep thought by the phone ringing.  
  
Stretching, Fiona answered it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey girl!"  
  
"Hey Moonbay!"  
  
Glancing around, Fiona picked her bag up, checked she was on the cordless phone, then continued to get her mobile out, and put it on the charger in her room.  
  
"So?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I was waiting for you after detention, I quit after a while, but I thought you'd be going to the corner shop, I waited there with Thomas and Van, while Irvine organised the party."  
  
"Oh yeah, how's the party going?"  
  
While Moonbay launched into details about the party, Fiona listened with half an ear, the other half was concentrated on what Raven had said, and not said, before.  
  
"-and then we'll get food, so do you want to come?"  
  
"Uh, when?"  
  
"FIONA!!! You weren't listening!!!"  
  
"Sorry, I'm free from now till Monday, uh, I think, so when's everything?"  
  
"Party's from eight tomorrow, until whenever, we figure heaps will be passed out, and we're going for the food about now, so you in?"  
  
"Sure, where do I meet you?"  
  
"Uh, well, how about I get you from your place, then we get the stuff, then dinner as well?"  
  
"Dinner?! Aren't you a few hours early?"  
  
"Um, Fiona, it's past dinner time."  
  
"What?"  
  
It was true.  
  
Glancing at her clock, Fiona was startled to see that it was already 8:38.  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Yeah, did you zone out or something all day?"  
  
"Uh, I think I did. It was about 4:30 when I got back, how could I sit there for four hours tanning?!"  
  
"Ooch, girl, you must be burnt."  
  
"Oh crap!!!"  
  
A glance at her legs confirmed this.  
  
"Shit. Damn!!"  
  
Laughter sounded from Moonbay, then she said,  
  
"Well, get ready, I'm leaving now."  
  
"Right, I'll just change and put on some makeup, so I'll be ready."  
  
*~*  
  
KNOCK KNOCK  
  
"Damn!!"  
  
Fiona raced to get the door, eye-shadow in hand, and flung it open, letting Moonbay in, then ran back to the mirror.  
  
"I guess your not ready."  
  
"Very funny!!!"  
  
Fiona glanced at Moonbay, who was wearing flared jeans, and a tight sleeveless black top, a jacket around her waist.  
  
Moonbay glanced at Fiona who was wearing......flared jeans, and a black top, tight, but with 3/4 sleeves, with flares, and a white vest.  
  
The difference in their jeans was that Moonbay's had a cute white and yellow iron on flower at the bottom of the right leg,  
  
"Alright, can I ring Irvine?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because. I need to make sure he didn't fall back to sleep."  
  
"Fall back asleep?"  
  
"Yeah, he was asleep before, when I rang him, he wasn't to happy that he'd fallen asleep, but was about to drift of again."  
  
"Right, you know where the phone is, I'll just grab my bag."  
  
"Sweet."  
  
Fiona grabbed her back pack, dumped it's books onto the bed, and put her wallet, phone, and a few other things, like a scarf, and lip gloss, glitter brush,  
  
"You ready, Fiona?"  
  
"Yeah, was Irvine there?"  
  
"Yeah, he was just leaving, so we'll meet him there, right?"  
  
"Sweet, let's go!"  
  
*~**~*  
  
Hey, well, how'd you like?  
  
Review, please, I'm new at this, please excuse all spelling errors, I'm not God, as much as I wish to be, ah, well, was that to long?  
  
PlEaSe tell, so I can fix it.  
  
Oh, also, I havn't made myself known, I've only given about three reviews, BUT IT ISN'T MY FAULT!!  
  
I swear it!!!!  
  
My computer wont bring up second windows or something, so when I go to review it comes up blank, and Dad doesn't care, he just always wants me offline, so I'll make a list of *some* of the good fics I've read, I can't remember what I *did* review at school in a free-time session,  
  
But for now, just, I dunno, REVIEW!!!!!!!  
  
*fingers crossed!!*  
  
Dark_lil_Devil 


	2. Chapter 2

Chap 2: Of party's and sop scenes........  
  
Warning:!!! May contain traces of peanuts, sap, bad language, and fluff.  
  
(sorry, I just had to!!)  
  
Disclaimer; Um,*blushes* when I begged the big boss people that own Zoids for at least *one* series, I just got a rude reply, so I advise against two things;  
  
1) Begging people of power, they just make rude comments,  
  
2) and don't sue me; I get nothing for this, apart from anything put into the reviews you wonderfull, caring people give me, (nudge nudge, hint hint, wink, wink!!!)  
  
Uh, I know this isn't going to be the best, most probably nothing like it, but if you do manage to make it through, please suggest to me any possible changes, twists, or just help me with a difficult decision.  
  
*~**~*  
  
When Fiona got back, at 10 PM, she sighed, collapsing onto her couch.  
  
What a day.  
  
What a fucked up, mess of a day.  
  
First she had gotten detention, making her plans with Karl disintegrate, then she'd had a crap day of lessons, Raven had freaked her out, detention sucked, then she'd had that whole thing with Raven and the park, then she'd gone shopping, and during her gossip with Moonbay, she had managed to confirm something.  
  
Moonbay had it for Raven, man, she had it bad.  
  
And NOW, thank god, she could relax, think of Karl, maybe ring him....  
  
Opening her eyes, Fiona decided to check that there were no messages on the phone, and guess what?  
  
There was, from Karl.  
  
After listening to it, she hung up, then turned the phone back on, dialing Karl's number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
He sounded wide awake,  
  
"Hey, it's me!"  
  
"Hey me, watcha up to?"  
  
"Oh, just got back from shopping for Van's party, it was a last second rescue for Moonbay, who was about to kill Van."  
  
"Oh yeah, how was detention?"  
  
"Funny, very funny."  
  
"Yeah yeah."  
  
"So what've you been up to?"  
  
"Oh, went to the party with Reese and some others, but it wasn't right, not without you, so I came back, helped Thomas with his homework."  
  
Fiona giggled when she heard some sort of indignant grunt that sounded like Thomas.  
  
"Oh shut up, Thomas. So, Fi, you want to do something?"  
  
"You read my mind."  
  
"What do you want to do?"  
  
"Ah, dunno. How about you come here, and we'll figure it out then?"  
  
"Sure, I'll be there in a while, I'll bring my 4WD."  
  
"Yessir!!"  
  
Hanging up, Fiona raced around, cleaning up, and reapplying worn out makeup.  
  
*~*  
  
"You ready yet?"  
  
"WHAT THE......OMG, Karl, DON'T DO THAT!!!"  
  
Karl had arrived about 10 mins ago, and while Fiona finished her makeup, he was supposed to be watching T.V, but had sneaked in on her, embracing her by surprise.  
  
"Sorry!!"  
  
"Yeah right. If your more then 1% sorry, I'll.......I dunno......"  
  
"Kiss me?"  
  
"Yeah, I'll kiss you!"  
  
Talking about it became to much for Karl, he found himself spinning Fiona around in his arms, and gently pressing the most delicate kiss he had ever given on her lips.  
  
She froze for a moment, giving Karl enough time to wonder what the hell was wrong with him, but then, Fiona opened her mouth to him, and her hands found their way to his hair.  
  
Upon being allowed entry to her mouth, Karl sighed with relief in his mind, and slowly, gently, took the lead, showing her how to explore the deep confines of the mouth, how to get the tongues to respond to each other in a lone dance, unsung, yet sung everywhere.  
  
Pulling up for air, Karl grinned at her, seeing the dazed and distant look in her eyes, and facials.  
  
"Does that prove that I'm sorry?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
There was a stunned sound in her voice, and her left hand found it's way from his hair to her lips, then she grinned, pulling him back for more.  
  
Half an hour later, Karl was sitting on the couch, and Fiona had resumed getting ready.  
  
"You done yet?"  
  
"Oh, shut up!!"  
  
Entering the room, Fiona held her arms out, and spun around.  
  
"So, how do I look?"  
  
"Like a bitch."  
  
"Oh very funny, woof woof."  
  
"Nah, you look perfect."  
  
"Just as well your perfect isn't normal!!"  
  
They laughed, and exited, getting into his car.  
  
*~*  
  
"So, where are we going?"  
  
Looking at Karl, his hair all shiny in the late night air, his eyes shining from the dim glow of the dashboard, Fiona mentally sighed from extreme pleasure.  
  
"Ah, well, I dunno if you want to go, but there's this place, where, well, you park up there, and, well,"  
  
"It's where you make out?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Fiona laughed at how cautious Karl was about the subject, like she'd drop him from the mere mention of it.  
  
"Where is it?"  
  
"Ah, on the cliff over on the south side of town."  
  
"Oh, right, sure. I'd love to go with you, Karl."  
  
Somehow, her hand found his, entwining with his fingers over the gear- stick.  
  
"Uh, where do you want to park?"  
  
"Under that tree over there, it looks peacefully."  
  
Once parked, Karl got out of the car, opened Fiona's door for her, and pulled her out into his arms.  
  
Giggling, she rested against him, then giggled when he set a blanket around the two, as they sat on the hood of his car.  
  
Resting against him, she whispered,  
  
"I love you, Karl."  
  
Karl's hand lifted her chin, so she was looking into his eyes, and he whispered,  
  
"I love you Fiona,"  
  
before continuing that unsung dance.  
  
This time, when Fiona collapsed on her bed, she held her breathe, listening to the roar of Karl's car, roaring down the street.  
  
Sighing with contentment, she rolled over, onto her stomach, and decided to check the phone.  
  
What?  
  
She could dream.  
  
There was no messages, and Fiona slipped into her night- clothes, falling into a deep uneventful sleep.  
  
*~*  
  
Moonbay awoke, the morning sunlight dancing patterns over her face.  
  
Opening her eyes, she sat up, glancing around.  
  
Her sister, Maryanne, had cleaned up again yesterday, before going to their parents.  
  
Maryanne.  
  
Shaking her head, Moonbay swung her legs out of bed.  
  
That kid, she was only 12, and she was always trying to please everyone, and so she had decided on staying with her big sister for one week, and then their parents for two.  
  
This suited Moonbay just fine, as though Maryanne was cute, she had to be looked after, killing any social time Moonbay had.  
  
After her shower, and getting dressed, Moonbay turned on her computer, it wasn't old, but it wasn't new, either.  
  
Logging online, she sighed.  
  
Grabbing an apple, Moonbay scanned her list of e-mails, opening random ones, jokes, mainly.  
  
"Ooosies!!"  
  
Clicking on one, Moonbay scanned it, then read it, it wasn't to long.  
  
Moonbay,hi. This is a quick e-mail to tell you I got the message last night, and yes, I'd love to come to this party and meet your friends. Now, I know this sounds weird, but what should I wear? What sort of things have you been up to? I'm not to sure we'll get that much time to talk, if this party is as good as it sounds, there shouldn't be much free time between meeting people, and having a good time, so I'll see you there, how about I pick you up? When? E-mail me, I'll be online 'till 10, the you can ring me after that, so yeah, hope you get this. Um, bye!!  
  
There was no name, but Moonbay didn't need one to know who it was from, it was an easy connection.  
  
Heo, I'm online now, u still der? anywayz, allz still on, wear what you norm wear, just tone down a bit, me and Fi wear black and white, but others wear jeans and tops, but you can pull your norm on, and u'd fit in gr8, I'm wearing black pant's, a drk grn top, mayb a vest or jacket. If u der, e- mail bck, sweet!!!  
  
Pressing the send button, Moonbay scanned the rest of her e-mails.  
  
Thinking of how thirty in one day wasn't bad, she filled in the one that has you write down your name and what your doing and stuff, then sent it to all 83 contacts she had.  
  
By that time her reply had arrived, and she read it, smirked, deleted it, sent a reply,  
  
Yep, see you then!!!  
  
Closing down her computer, Moonbay then rang Irvine, to check something.  
  
*~*  
  
Van woke to the sound of the phone, and upon stumbling out to the kitchen, picking it up, and mumbling something that could possibly be identified as a  
  
'Hello?'  
  
"Hey, it's Irvine, did I wake ya?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"It's 12, time to get up, Moonbay wants to hit your place at half past, so I thought I'd warn you."  
  
"By Moonbay, you mean.....?"  
  
"Moonbay, I'll be there at 1, and possibly Fiona, Thomas and Karl'll be there at any time, we don't know, but that's alright, with their C.D. collection, if they show up, with a few, of course, it'll be appreciated."  
  
None of this whatsoever registered in Van's mind, he just asked,  
  
"Moonbay?"  
  
".......Yeah, then me after half an hour of just her, so I'll see if I can hook Fiona into looking after you."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Hanging up, Van looked around.  
  
Tops were thrown everywhere, his school books lay in a corner, his stereo was still playing on some shit station he had been listening to the night before, yep.  
  
All was perfect.  
  
That wasn't Moonbay's thoughts.  
  
"VAN!!!! How could you let your place get like this?!"  
  
"What? It's normal!!"  
  
"Pig!! Now we've gotta clean up, set everything out, then go shopping!!"  
  
"Shopping?"  
  
Van's eyebrow twitched.  
  
That wasn't part of what he had allegedly agreed to.  
  
"Yeah, Fiona and I are going to take you guys shopping, get you some tops, hang out, release tension before relaxing even more at the party!!!"  
  
Now both eyebrows were twitching.  
  
"You mean you're going to drag me, Irvine and probably Karl and Thomas around the mall, get us tops we didn't need, then scream at us when we tell the truth?"  
  
"Exactly, so don't lie, tell us the truth, that you *appreciate* what we get you."  
  
"But........never mind."  
  
Sighing in defeat, Van decided to plan on how to get out of it, while he and Moonbay cleaned his place up.  
  
At five, Moonbay mysteriously asked all of them to go back to her place, and a bit miffed, they piled into Karl's car, asking Moonbay why.  
  
Not answering why, she jumped out when they got there, ran inside, and reappeared at the door, inviting them all in.  
  
"Make yourselves comfortable, and Van, don't even think of touching the PS2, I've nearly clocked that game, and your not going to ruin it!!"  
  
Moonbay was in the kitchen, and only her yells stopped Van, who had been inches away from the console, who moaned back,  
  
"Man......what game you playing?"  
  
"GTA, but it's this special one, harder then the original, way harder.  
  
It's taken me three weeks to get that far, and I got the first one in less then two days."  
  
They settled down, watching a video clips on T.V, talking, and relaxing, until there was a knock at the door.  
  
Moonbay was instantly on her feet, and t the door.  
  
Taking a deep breathe, she opened the door, let the person in, and took their clock, closing the door.  
  
Fiona was snuggled up to Karl on a single couch, Van was lazing on the other, while Irvine was stretched out on the main one, hands behind his head.  
  
Thomas was on a beanbag, Moonbay had been on the blow up air chair.  
  
There was some quiet talking in the hall, and though Fiona was deep in conversation with Thomas and Karl, while Van sung to the clip, Evenesence, bring me to life, Irvine wondered who had been at the door.  
  
"Hey, guys,"  
  
Moonbay had everybody's attention, apart from Van's, that is.  
  
He had managed not to hear them, and was still singing.  
  
Moonbay saw this, and made a sign for them to watch, as she grabbed the remote, waited until the chorus, and put the mute on just when Van sung out in a high-pitched voice,  
  
"-Wake me up inside!!"  
  
As he got to inside, he had a huge voice-break, causing the whole room to explode in laughter, and when he realised what had happened, Van went bright red. "Wonderful, Vanita, wonderful!!"  
  
"Hey, shut it, Irvine!"  
  
"Uh, guys."  
  
"Yo, what's up, Moonbay?"  
  
"Shut it, Van, I'd like you all to meet someone."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Uh, come on!"  
  
Waving to someone beyond the door, Moonbay turned around, went out, and dragged in a guy by the wrist.  
  
"This is Domitan, my friend. Dom, this is Irvine, Van, Fiona, Karl, and Thomas."  
  
"Hey."  
  
They all greeted each him, sizing him up.  
  
He was an average height, average build, thin but not too thin, bleach blonde, with a earring from his left ear, a type of dragon, but his clothes read,  
  
'Forget me, I'm unimportant, being black pants and a deep red sleeveless top.  
  
"So, take a seat, Dom, Irvine, up!!"  
  
"Yes 'mam!"  
  
Irvine sat up, leaving enough room for two beside him.  
  
Dom sat down, shyly, and Moonbay sat there, turning the music back on, trying to get back to the relaxed atmosphere they had had before.  
  
Fiona leant over, nudging Domitan, asking,  
  
"So where're you from?"  
  
"Oh, uh, I'm from the other side of town, about ten minutes drive away."  
  
"Right, what school do you go to?"  
  
While Fiona talked to Domitan, the tension left, and they all went back to comfortable, until Irvine pointed out,  
  
"Uh, guys, the party starts in half an hour!!"  
  
"Shit!!!!"  
  
Moonbay was out of her seat in a flash, shooing them out to the cars.  
  
"I'll go with Dom, you to, Thomas."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Thomas had been daydreaming, he had no idea of what was going on.  
  
"Just follow me. Van, turn it off, we're going!!"  
  
*~*  
  
When they got there, Moonbay ordered Van to show Dom around, while the others set out the food.  
  
"Uh, bathroom, my room, study, kitchen!, um,"  
  
When they were out of earshot, Van turned around to face Dom, whispering,  
  
"Dude, Fiona's with Karl, Moonbay's with......uh, I'm not to sure if she's with anyone, but just.....if you join our group, try not to hurt feelings, right?"  
  
Dom understood this completely, Van was looking out for his friends, but there was no need for Van to worry about Dom making moves on the girls......  
  
"Right."  
  
*~*  
  
"Hey, Moonbay, what's the time?"  
  
Fiona was right next to Moonbay, but had to shout to be heard over the Eminem song that was blearing.  
  
"Uh, it's 10:50 pm, why?"  
  
"Van......"  
  
Shaking her head, Fiona indicated for Moonbay to follow her, and after shutting the kitchen door, they managed to talk normally.  
  
"Van's wiped out all the chips, and the rest of the food. Would the shop be open?"  
  
"It closes at eleven, you'd better hurry."  
  
"Right, I'll see if Karl can drive me."  
  
It turned out that Karl couldn't drive her, he was pretty drunk, not enough to be bouncing off the walls, but enough to have his keys taken and put away until morning.  
  
"Man, who'll take me?!"  
  
Stressing, Fiona was startled to see Dom walk over, dangling his keys.  
  
"I'll take you. Don't worry, I don't drink, so I'm not drunk."  
  
"Right, Moonbay, I'm going with Domitan, sweet, be back soon!"  
  
As a drunk Karl saw Fiona leave with another guy, he started to worry, but felt a hand on his shoulder, and looked at Moonbay for an explanation.  
  
"Don't worry, their getting some more food, and he's, well, I can be sure he wont be looking at Fi in that way, he's more into guys, she should be the worried one."  
  
*~*  
  
The party went on, music blearing, until midnight, when most of the people started to leave, and the radio was turned down, per request of neighbours, until at three in the morning, it was just the friends left.  
  
Van was passed out on the ground, somehow he had managed to get drunk, after Moonbay and Irvine had kept taking all his drinks from him, telling him he was too young.  
  
Fiona was asleep in Karl's arms, murmuring in her sleep, while Karl casually listened to the conversation between Moonbay, Irvine, Thomas, Dom and Reese, who had shown up at some unknown point.  
  
By five, Thomas was asleep, he had fallen asleep on the couch, Moonbay was dancing, having had way too much to drink, Irvine was by the radio, looking through all the C.D's.  
  
Karl was still with the asleep Fiona, softly singing to whatever happened to be playing, Van had started to snore, so at some point, Irvine had put the boy in his bed, closing the door as he left, an attempt to block it, and Reese was.........  
  
"Moonbay?"  
  
"Yeah, 'arl?"  
  
"Where's Reese?"  
  
"She's 'assed ou' on da pooooooooollllll!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Confused, Karl turned to Irvine for an explanation.  
  
"I think she said that Reese passed out on the pool, so hopefully.......I think I'll go check."  
  
"Want me to come?"  
  
"Nah, I'll be sweet."  
  
Irvine left the room, through the French doors, to find Reese in a hump, legs in the water, the rest of her asleep, sprawled out unladylike.  
  
"Wonderful."  
  
Reese was going to be completely sorry the next day, she was soaking, and had been out in the morning air, which wasn't good, she would have a headache, and she'd be less then happy at the prospect of how Irvine had dragged her across the ground, stopped at the door, got a few towels, wrapped her in them, then tried to figure out how to change her clothes.  
  
"We can't trust Moonbay, she's off her head, and, well, we're guys, she wouldn't appreciate that."  
  
All the guys looked at their last option, Fiona.  
  
"No, she's sleeping, come on you guys...."  
  
But it was too late, Irvine had awoken Fiona, who, to Karl's dismay, just curled up again, snuggling closer to him, making the guys tease, and Karl go bright red.  
  
Moonbay had come over, seen what had happened, and in her drunken state asked,  
  
"So, 'arl, ha'e you and Fion' done it yet?"  
  
Bright red, Karl looked to Irvine, then wondered what the hell to say.  
  
Irvine replied for him though, telling Moonbay,  
  
"Do you really think so, Moonbay? The couple that's been going out for nearly a year, and might not have even hooked up? Yeah, really, Moonbay, good thinking."  
  
Moonbay looked pleased with herself, and resumed her.........dancing.  
  
Irvine just laughed to himself, then looked at Karl in a way that said,  
  
'So are you gunna answer that?'  
  
"Uh, well, we, er, we kissed the other night, and, ah,"  
  
"You got her top and she got your hair?"  
  
Nodding, Karl was glad for Irvine's blunt streak, which made him nearly immune to blushing and feeling embarrassment, nearly.  
  
Karl grinned as he remembered one of the few occasions Irvine had blushed.  
  
Strange, Karl had completely forgotten that Irvine went after other guys.  
  
//~// The were having lunch, like normal, when Irvine stopped in mid sentence, staring at a guy that had walked through the door, with a gorgeous chick hanging off his arm.  
  
The whole group, save those already involved, were staring at either the girl or the guy, as both were stunning.  
  
The girl went to get a table, while the guy ordered, and though making no comment aloud, Karl had seen that Irvine's eyes followed the guy the whole way, never even slipping to the girl.  
  
Giving his leg a light kick under the table, Karl made a noise that sounded like a cough, but told Irvine, 'I knew it!', and to his surprise, Irvine had blushed completely, making his suspicions confirmed.//~//  
  
Irvine snorted, and Karl realised he had daydreamed, with a silly smirk on his face.  
  
Shrugging, he pulled Fiona closer to him, and drifted to sleep, content.  
  
Irvine watched this, with a mixture of feelings.  
  
He had known Fiona for years, she was a year younger then him, but studied at his level.  
  
He was happy, happy that she had a good guy, happy that she was happy, but it also disgusted him, the sight of someone so much......older with his friend.  
  
It wasn't jealousy, he could never feel for her that way, it was more protection, the guy was 3 years older, bloody hell!!!!  
  
He was pretty sure Fiona was still with all her firsts, and by what Karl had just confirmed, that was her first kiss gone...........he just hoped she'd wait until she was positive for her virginity to go.  
  
Sighing Irvine shook his head, clearing these thoughts, and wondered what had happened to everybody.  
  
Van was in his room...........Fiona and Karl on the couch.............Moonbay was.........  
  
"Uh, Moonbay?"  
  
Looking to where Moonbay had been, Irvine observed the lump on the ground, limbs at odd angles.  
  
"You alive?"  
  
There was a sound, possibly a grunt, and the heap rolled over to face him, and slurred,  
  
"I' wa'a dance wit' yoooou toniight!!"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I'm drunnkkkkkkk!!"  
  
Damn, he'd seen people get so drunk they puked, he'd done that more then once, but Moonbay'd never acted like this...........  
  
"Moonbay, did you have anything else tonight?"  
  
"I had.....had, funny word.......I had, hehe, I had, hehe, hahahaha-"  
  
"Moonbay!"  
  
Now he was a little worried.  
  
Had someone drugged her?  
  
"I had a drink, a drink, and LOT'S of drinks!!!!!!"  
  
So she had drinks.  
  
Did anyone drug them?  
  
"Where did you get those drinks?"  
  
"Van*I*ta, Van, Van, Van, Van-"  
  
"How many drinks have you had?"  
  
By now he was sure, she was high.  
  
"Ummmmmmmmmmmm, 5, 10, this many!!!"  
  
She stuck all her hands and feet into the air, then startled to giggle.  
  
Sighing, Irvine got up, picked her up in a fireman's lift way, and delivered her to the guest room, all the time hearing her ask,  
  
"Are you gunna kiss me, Irvine? Because, your 'gly, I don't like you, kiss me!!!"  
  
Closing the door behind him, Irvine thought better of this, and left it open.  
  
Returning to the couch, he resumed his count, whilst dreaming of a nice hot coffee......  
  
Van, bed, Moonbay, bed, Karl, asleep, Fiona, asleep, Thomas...asleep, Reese, out cold......  
  
Getting up, he checked on Reese, getting blankets, replacing the towels with them.  
  
He considered putting her in a bed, but realised that the only one left was Van's sisters room, and he couldn't trust that Reese wouldn't throw up again, so he left her huddled up on the floor, after putting her on a few cushions.  
  
Returning to the couch, he counted again, longing for coffee to keep his mind going.  
  
Van, in his room, Thomas, on the other couch, Karl and Fiona, couch, Moonbay, guest room, Reese, ground, but Irvine had the feeling he was forgetting someone.  
  
The feeling of something being pushed into his cold hands brought Irvine back to reality, and after registering that it was a cup of coffee, he raised his gaze to the person, and realised who he had forgotten, Domitan.  
  
"Hey, figured you'd want one."  
  
"Yeah, thanks."  
  
How'd he know? Irvine figured that Dom had guessed it.  
  
"So, how long have you known Moonbay?"  
  
"Me?"  
  
Irvine was a bit puzzled, wasn't that what he was meant to say?!  
  
"Uh, well, I dunno, we just kinda.......do."  
  
"Yeah, we've been like that, just meeting and e-mailing each other, who knows for how long."  
  
Smiling slightly, Irvine tested the coffee.  
  
Nice, black, no sugar, no milk, just how he liked it.  
  
"Good coffee."  
  
"No prob."  
  
They sat in silence, a comfortable one, each thinking his own thoughts.  
  
When the CD finished, Black Eyed Peas, Irvine stretched, then went to put another one on.  
  
While he was looking through the pile of CD's, Irvine was aware of Domitan checking him out, but never let on.  
  
Reese mumbled something, and rolled over, so that her head was against the couch in what had to be an uncomfortable way.  
  
Getting up to help, Irvine found Dom was already there, taking care of her, so he took the chance to check him out.  
  
He had a sturdy body, not to big, not to small, muscles undetected under his sleeves, but rippling as he moved Reese out of harms way, his face was handsome, tight cheekbones, his cheeks a pale colour that suited him, his eyes........they were..........entrancing, the way they sloped in thought, the pupils surrounded by a nice dark grey, making him mysterious, yet so...............  
  
Irvine didn't want to admit it, but he was insanely attracted to this guy.  
  
When Dom finished moving Reese, he knew without looking that Irvine was checking him out, and, deciding to be cheeky, he lifted his gaze to meet Irvine's startled one, and grinned, something he had learnt could get him what he wanted.  
  
Returning to the couch, he let his gaze stay on Irvine, as he picked out some music, Linkin Park, and then as Irvine returned to the couch, Dom slid closer to him.  
  
Irvine needed some air, he needed to think, and the only place he could think of was the roof, a place he'd been many a time before.  
  
"I'll be back in a short while."  
  
Standing, Irvine first glanced at the others in the room, checking they were alright, then exited, to enter Van's sister's room, and swing himself out the window, hanging onto the gutter, then pulled himself up.  
  
There wasn't that much risk, he was only on the second floor of this house, but it could hurt if he was to fall.  
  
Sitting on the edge of the roof, Irvine relaxed, raising his hands behind his head, and stretching out along the roof, thinking.  
  
His life wasn't that interesting, not big enough to have many problems, but all the little ones together made a headache, a chorus of complaining to be solved first, a reminder of how mundane his life was.  
  
Before he could work anything out, especially his feelings towards people he didn't even want to name in his mind, somebody clambered onto the roof, agilely, like they had been climbing onto roofs for as long as he had.  
  
Glancing over, he saw Dom looking at the sky, his arms wrapped around his legs.  
  
Lapsing back into his thoughts, Irvine thought of how peaceful it would be, to just take off, leave everything behind, all the memories, even if that included his friends, just to jump in a zoid and leave, but, of course, he wasn't allowed to pilot a zoid outside the designated training areas until he was an accomplished zoid pilot, finishing all levels at school.  
  
A sigh brought his attention to the teen next to him, and Irvine figured he'd like to take his mind off of his own problems for a while.  
  
"Something troubling you?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Dom hadn't been aware to his surroundings, as everybody is when daydreaming, but didn't appreciate Irvine's grin all the same.  
  
"What?"  
  
This made Irvine grin even more, something that he rarely did, but also something which lit his features, revealing the purple eyes that seemed grey at times.  
  
Giving the guy a shove, Dom snorted, seeing that Irvine was just as sturdy as he looked.  
  
"Huh? I think a breeze is picking up, I felt it just then, a little nudge."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Irvine laughed, and let the other push him aside, gently, for the sake of friendship, but then when he was lying on his back again, he found the other teen looking down at him.  
  
"..........uh,"  
  
There was nothing to say, and Dom noticed that Irvine was trying to find something to cease the silence, and to stop him, Dom's hand found it's way to Irvine's mouth, closing it with one finger.  
  
Lowering himself to his elbows, Dom stared into Irvine's eyes, not caring that the lust he was feeling showed completely in his eyes as much in his actions.  
  
Removing his finger from Irvine's mouth, he replaced it with his lips, in a gentle, questioning kiss.  
  
Irvine was stunned, but then when Dom began to remove his lips, as a sign of defeat, Irvine leaned, up, pushed Dom's head down to his with his hands, and quickly started to kiss him before Irvine himself knew what was happening.  
  
Dom quickly allowed Irvine entry to his mouth, and Irvine took the initiative to use it, exploring the other teens mouth, when his brain kicked in.  
  
The hands that had been holding Domitan close to him now pushed him away, half his brain melting at the touch of his tight chest, the other half completely confused.  
  
Dom felt Irvine press him away, and, resentfully, he sat up, running his hand through his hair, a thing he knew would get attention when he looked like he didn't know it would.  
  
Irvine lay there, confused.  
  
He had kissed Dom.  
  
He had kissed Dom.  
  
Why the hell had he kissed Dom?  
  
Remembering it, he knew his body asked for more, but his brain was screaming.  
  
What the hell was wrong with him?!  
  
He shivered, and realised that at this time in the morning, 5:30 AM, there was no heat, on a windy darkness.  
  
Dom sat there, patiently waiting for Irvine's mind to catch up to his body.  
  
Rubbing his temples, Irvine finally looked up, and asked outright,  
  
"If we get together, can you keep a secret?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, from everybody? Sure, if you can."  
  
"Good, then we can finish what we started."  
  
Irvine sat up, and reached his right hand to behind Dom's head, allowing their heads to meet, and closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss.  
  
When they broke for air, the both grinned, and asked at the same time,  
  
"Who'll be on top?"  
  
Grinning, they leant in for another taste of each other.  
  
*~*  
  
At 7 Am, Fiona woke up, and when she moved ever so slightly to stifle a yawn, she woke Karl. Glancing around the room, trying to figure out where he was, Karl saw Irvine and Dom holding hands in their sleep on the couch. Quickly he diverted Fiona's attention in a morning kiss, while 'accidentally' falling off of the couch, in doing so, awaking the two sleeping guys.  
  
Fiona disappeared, looking for coffee, Karl warned Irvine,  
  
"Watch your back, that hurt, she nearly saw!!"  
  
Irvine grinned at him, glanced at Dom, whispered,  
  
"I don't know you,"  
  
dropped Dom's hand, and left in search of a bathroom.  
  
"So you've tamed him."  
  
Grinning, Dom asked,  
  
"How long've you known about him? The others don't seem to know,"  
  
"Ah, a little while, a couple of months, but I completely forgot."  
  
"Right, did you know about me?"  
  
"Kinda, I had my suspicions. I figure you two will keep this quiet?"  
  
"Yep. I figure it'd embarrass him in front of his friends, so,"  
  
Dom shrugged, and returned to a light sleep.  
  
Fiona returned with a coffee for herself and Karl, then glanced around,  
  
"Where's Irvine? I didn't know whether he'd want a coffee......"  
  
Shrugging, Karl pulled Fiona into his lap, and they sat quietly, drinking, and waking up.  
  
Irvine returned with a white face, and looked at Karl,  
  
"I completely forgot, Karl, I think Moonbay was drugged!"  
  
Karl was at full attention instantly, asking,  
  
"How? Is she alright?"  
  
"Yeah, she was acting more then drunk last night, but I figured she'd be fine, I just checked on her......"  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
It seemed strange to Dom that Karl was so serious about somebody getting lightly drugged, but Irvine explained to him later about how Karl's mother had died by too much intake of drugs, as she had been so addicted that too much wasn't enough.  
  
Irvine led Karl to the room Moonbay was in, and Karl sighed with relief.  
  
"She's only had a light bit, maybe picked up the wrong glass?"  
  
"Dunno, she had so much to drink last night, but most of them were Van's........"  
  
Both of the guys were in Van's room before the sentence was finished, and upon entering, they found him dressing.  
  
"Shit!"  
  
Running back out, they tried to shake the image from their minds.  
  
They could hear Van muttering from inside, and when he opened the door, he found himself having Irvine holding him, and Karl peer at him, then felt himself let go.  
  
"Nah, he's sweet."  
  
Irvine seemed to relax a bit, but Van was confused, then angry.  
  
"What the hell were you doing?! Have you ever heard of knocking?!!!"  
  
"Sorry, kid, thought you were drugged as well."  
  
"Drugged?! I don't do.....as well?"  
  
"Yeah, Moonbay picked something up last night......."  
  
"Last night? At my party?"  
  
"Yeah, we figure someone spiked her, then forgot or something."  
  
"Ah, at my party? Do you know how much shit I could get in?!"  
  
"Oh, get over it. Now, your outta this room, I'm gunna put Reese in here........shit."  
  
All three walked this time, though they were worried, into the lounge, and checked Reese.  
  
She was a duplicate of Moonbay.  
  
"Shit. Right, Van, she's going in your room."  
  
They all helped to carry Reese to Van's room, not because she was heavy, she was feather light, but because when moved she thrashed about.  
  
When they told Dom what had happened to Moonbay, he shrugged.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah? What are you on about? This is Moonbay we're talking about."  
  
"Yeah, Moonbay. Don't you know?"  
  
Dom looked from the nearly hysterical Fiona to Irvine, Karl and Van, who were all confused.  
  
"Uh, I suggest you take her away, she might not want to hear this."  
  
Van nodded, and led Fiona away, getting her some more coffee, while Dom addressed the other two.  
  
"Uh, she's been doing drugs for a year now."  
  
"She's what?!"  
  
Karl was fuming, Irvine was only stunned.  
  
"Yeah, that's how we met, but I stopped after I lost a friend, and she said she'd stop, but she's still cutting back, when she drinks, she can't help it."  
  
Irvine reserved his own anger, and spent his time on calming Karl down, who was positively fuming.  
  
They agreed not to tell anybody else, at least, not until they had discussed it, but Fiona guessed that she knew, from the way Karl was acting.  
  
Seeing that he needed to do something before he exploded, Fiona convinced Karl to drive them somewhere, she didn't care where, and when they got there, a park that overlooked the city, a very sweet sight, she got out, and went for a walk with Karl.  
  
*~*  
  
When they were far enough away, she told him to let it out.  
  
Instantly he started raging, yelling about what an, ahem, idiot that, ahem, Moonbay was, and plenty more ahems.  
  
Fiona waited until he was finished, then got him to sit down, handing him a bottle of water.  
  
"Damn it Fiona, I promised myself I wouldn't swear in front of you."  
  
She just giggled, and drank some water herself.  
  
"Damn you."  
  
Grinning, Karl ruffled her hair, and she squealed at the indignity.  
  
"Hey!! Not fair!!"  
  
"What are you going to do about it? Huh, midget?"  
  
"Oh!!"  
  
With that, she pulled him down and kissed him intensely, then when they pulled apart for the sake of air, she managed to say in a croaky voice,  
  
"Say that again, and die!"  
  
Karl managed to find his voice, stating,  
  
"Oh? And how do you propose to kill me, midget?"  
  
With that, she kissed him again, enjoying the pure bliss, and did so, until things went a bit to far with their hands, and she pulled back.  
  
"Karl, I......"  
  
He pecked her on the forehead, and whispered,  
  
"I know, never let me, alright? Even if I beg, don't, it's to precious."  
  
She nodded, and though she tried not to show it, Karl saw the relief in her eyes.  
  
'She really is young. Sometimes I forget how young.'  
  
His thoughts were interrupted by her kissing him, then when she pulled back, she smiled, and he thought,  
  
'And that's why I forget, she acts just like she's my age'  
  
They returned to the car, Moonbay forgotten for now.  
  
*~**~*  
  
Wow, that's a bit scary.............  
  
*I* wrote that?  
  
Please, if you like this, or if you don't, share your views with me, I'm in desperate need of the knowledge that *someone* (other then Taltos) is reading this!!!!!  
  
Laterz,  
  
Dark_lil_Devil 


	3. Chapter 3

Chap 3: The end of one party; the start of another, less forgiving one..  
  
Warning:!!!  
  
May contain traces of peanuts, sap, bad language, and fluff.  
  
(sorry, I just had to!!) and, well, my last chap had guy/guy in it, I din't plan *that*!!! And, well, sometimes, I wish I was a guy, why not? I like cars; I hate to much gossip, it gets so BORING!!!! Ahem, well, nah, I'd rather be a female, still. But, Fiona might wish to change that in here........let's just say, well, she IS a teenager........  
  
Disclaimer; Nope, even in my dreams I'm not allowed any ownership over Zoids.....it's not fair......!!  
  
*~**~*  
  
Thomas awoke with a headache, not a hangover: he hadn't had anything alcoholic the night before.  
  
He found some panadol, then managed to engage in conversation with the awake people;  
  
Van, Irvine and Dom.  
  
"Where's everyone?"  
  
"Hey Thomas, Fiona and Karl went out for a drive, and the rest are asleep."  
  
"Still?"  
  
"Hey, you only just got up, and you didn't drink anything!"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
The talk was lame, but it was hard for them to concentrate, even though it should have taken their minds from everything with Moonbay, while Van's mind was really too small to have thoughts more then, 'food'.  
  
*~*  
  
Reese woke at 11, and found her way to the lounge, where everyone was, talking quietly.  
  
"Hey, anyone got clothes I can use?"  
  
She had noticed first that she was in her clothes, which seemed to be soaked, and she remembered diving into the water in them.......shit. What the hell had she done last night?  
  
"Oh, hey Reese, feeling alright?"  
  
A surge in her stomach told her she wasn't, and yelling behind her,  
  
"Damn you, now I don't,"  
  
Reese ran to puke in the privacy of the bathroom.  
  
Hands soothed her hair away, and when she finished, Reese looked up to find Fiona, looking totally revolted, holding it back for her.  
  
"Thanks, do you mind if I have a shower?"  
  
"Not my house, but go for it, I'll get some clothes for you."  
  
Leaving, Fiona went into the kitchen, feeling like she'd throw herself, that was DISGUSTING!!  
  
Who the hell would do that to themselves?  
  
When she had recovered from that feeling, Fiona pushed it from her mind, going to search through Van's clothes for something that would fit Reese.  
  
When Reese emerged from the bathroom, smelling of a familiar Lynx, (hehe, gotta luv it!!) and wearing familiar clothes, Van's face fell.  
  
"Hey! What do you think your doing in my stuff?!"  
  
"Oh,"  
  
Fiona looked over at him, with her award winning smile,  
  
"Didn't I tell you, Van? I let her borrow your stuff."  
  
"Yeah, kid, don't stress yourself."  
  
"Kid?!"  
  
While Van fumed over, Reese asked Fiona for a word, and when they were outside by the pool, she spoke again.  
  
"Fiona, Raven talked to me, and.......well, do you want lessons? I know he's not the easiest person to understand, he sometimes takes yes for granted, but I'm here to help if you want it."  
  
"Uh, what sort of lessons?"  
  
"Oh, uh, I dunno. I guess I'd show you a way to build your upper-body strength, I could show you how to defend from an attacker, how to use a knife, dagger, heck, I know how to use a sword and an axe."  
  
"You......know all of that?!"  
  
"Yeah, but I'd have to teach you the basics first, that and train myself, I'm getting fat."  
  
"No your not, you used to look anorexic, now your proper."  
  
"Whatever. But, um, I could start by getting you on a few exercises for your arms, so you can keep up with the defences."  
  
"Alright."  
  
Karl watched as Fiona and Reese trained, and sighed to himself.  
  
The reason he had quit, the one reason, and she was on the way to where he had been.  
  
Remembering it, the drugs, the violence, the theft, the training..........it was painful to think of, even now.  
  
Karl shook his head, and watched Reese.  
  
It was strange, sometimes she seemed so deep in with them, that there was no hope for her, and at other times, she seemed to be completely over them, having a normal life, then sinking back down.  
  
*~*  
  
Fiona's arms were killing her.  
  
All that exercise for them, it was hard, and she needed a break.  
  
No.  
  
If she kept quitting, then she'd never be able to defend herself, it wasn't fair.  
  
Keeping the picture of the different arm strengthening exercises Reese had shown her, Fiona kept going.  
  
Keeping herself going was a mission in itself, so she barely noticed what happened around her.  
  
"Here."  
  
She heard a voice, familiar, a bit worried, but she couldn't stop to talk, she had to get stronger.  
  
Grunting, she kept at it, trying her hardest.  
  
Strong hands eased over her clenched fists, and kept her still.  
  
Struggling to free herself of this gentle grip, Fiona found that she had no energy for it.  
  
This disgusted her.  
  
She'd been working so hard, and she couldn't even get rid of this gentle grip?!  
  
Now fuelled with anger, she wrenched her hands away, and kept at the exercises.  
  
"No. Fi, you have to stop now."  
  
No.  
  
She wouldn't stop until she was stronger.  
  
There was no way she'd stop, not for anything.  
  
Hands encircled her, and eased her into a sitting position, her arms across her chest.  
  
Trying to speak, Fiona found her mouth was parched, and when the person let go of her, she realised she was shivering with weakness.  
  
A cup was pressed to her lips, and tasting it, Fiona found it was water.  
  
Gulping the whole thing down, Fiona wondered how she had been going without water, she had been dried to the bone!  
  
"Now, you need to rest."  
  
Squirming to face him, Fiona pouted.  
  
"But I need to get stronger, I have to-"  
  
"No, you need to rest, your arms will be numb now, and your as tired as possible, go to sleep."  
  
"It's still daytime!"  
  
"It's seven PM."  
  
"WHAT?! It was four when I started!!"  
  
"Exactly, you need to give your body a break, it's not used to this."  
  
"No, I have to keep going, Karl, I have to!"  
  
"No. Fiona, your going to sleep, and I'm going to make sure you don't keep going, so I'll sit on the couch while you sleep, alright?"  
  
"Hey! Don't I get a bed?"  
  
"Uh, Van's is free, but then how will I know you wont keep going?"  
  
"Uh, you can trust me?"  
  
"No, I know I can't, so how do we solve this?"  
  
"I guess you'll just have to stay in Van's room for a while, if you must!"  
  
"Fine, I don't care what it takes, I've seen this happen before, your not going to harm yourself in the first stages of training, if your to train."  
  
If Fiona would train, then Karl would help her all he could, not like what it'd been like for him and Reese.  
  
He wasn't about to let her injure her arms in her first session, like that other girl had when he'd been training, the girl who had been thrown to the older guys mercy as her punishment for being weak.  
  
He knew they'd softened up on the punishments, they wouldn't rape their candidates any more, but they could be just as harsh.  
  
Their leader made sure of that.  
  
*~*  
  
Van, Thomas and Irvine had gone with Reese to get her clothes, as she'd decided to make a trade with Van.  
  
She'd clean the house if she could stay in the spare room for a few days.  
  
Van had seen nothing wrong with this, Reese could cook, and he wouldn't have to worry about cleaning, so he agreed, and got the guys to help get her stuff.  
  
Now they were back, Van wondered where Fiona and Karl had gotten to, as Karl's car was still there, but there was no sign of him in the house.  
  
Wandering into his room, Van was thinking, when he realised that two people were on his bed, Fiona and Karl.  
  
Karl was awake, his hand entwined with Fiona's, while her other hand clutched a part of the brown top that rested on his chest.  
  
Watching Van, Karl whispered for him to shut up, and let Fiona sleep, so Van exited, closing the door behind him.  
  
*~*  
  
When Fiona awoke, Karl appeared asleep, so she gently eased herself out of his grip, and slid off the bed, looking for a clock.  
  
It was 10 PM, she could just get in some more exercises before she would need to get more sleep-  
  
"Fiona, if you even think of doing more, your out of your mind."  
  
Startled, she found Karl, in the same position as before, with his eyes closed, yet he seemed to know what she was doing.  
  
"Just go back to sleep, alright?"  
  
Grumbling, Fiona trudged back to the bed, but feeling a draft, she climbed under the blankets this time, and motioned for Karl to follow her.  
  
"Uh, no, um,"  
  
"Bloody hell, Karl, it's cold, and besides, we're wearing our clothes anyway. And I just want to sleep, we've got school tomorrow."  
  
*~*  
  
The alarm woke Fiona, and her hand shot out to turn it off, the one that sat next to her bed on the right side, but this morning? It wasn't there, instead......  
  
She hit Karl's head, waking him.  
  
"OW!"  
  
"Oops, sorry, reflexes, that's where my alarm at home is."  
  
"Ow, well, next time, look first, alright?!"  
  
Even in the morning, Fiona could work this out,  
  
"Next time?"  
  
"Oh, well, you know what I mean,"  
  
Karl was obviously not a morning person, as even this little thing annoyed him.  
  
"No, I don't, are you planning to sleep in here again with me? Is that what next time means?"  
  
"No, I meant, well, you know,"  
  
"No, I don't, care to explain?"  
  
Karl sat up, rubbing his temples.  
  
"Hm? Care to explain what next time means?"  
  
Karl got out of bed, muttering about coffee.  
  
Laughing, and quickly adjusting to the morning, Fiona glanced at the clock, and found that it was eight thirty.  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
Running into the lounge, she found Van asleep on the couch.  
  
Kicking him in the ribs, she screeched,  
  
"Do you know what time it is?!"  
  
"Urrgghh."  
  
"You ingrate. Karl!"  
  
Fiona ran out of the room, as Van curled up and drifted off back to sleep.  
  
"Karl! Do you know what time it is?!"  
  
She found him at the kitchen counter, draining a mug of fresh coffee.  
  
"No, what time is it?"  
  
"Eight thirty!!"  
  
Upon hearing this, Karl sculled a large mug of coffee in one go, knowing what was coming next.  
  
"We have to get ready!! Can you drive me to my place? That's where my uniform and everything is. And where's Moonbay? Did she wake up?"  
  
"Uh, sure, I'll take you to get your stuff, and Moonbay's been waking up and going back to sleep all night, so I think it's best if she stays as far away from school as possible."  
  
"Great, we'll have the day off and look after her."  
  
"No, Van'll have the day off, you'll go to school and keep up with your work."  
  
"Yes, mother."  
  
"Right, you ready? Get in the car, and I'll explain to Van."  
  
"Aha."  
  
*~*  
  
"Have a good day, see you at lunch!!"  
  
"See ya, Fi!!"  
  
Sprinting as fast as she could in a skirt, Fiona made it into the corridors as the bell went.  
  
"Crap, I need to get to my locker!"  
  
Elbowing her way through the crowds, Fiona arrived at her locker, grabbed what she needed, then hurried to her form room.  
  
Entering 17a, she realised all to well that she was late.  
  
"Tardy, Miss Lynette?"  
  
"Uh, sorry, Mr Herman, sir."  
  
"Well, it is the first time this year, so I'll leave it as a warning, alright? Next time, it'll be detention."  
  
"Yessir."  
  
"Take your seat please."  
  
Fiona went to her seat, and found a note there, reading it, she sighed.  
  
When would people learn to accept her? Juvenile notes telling her to 'get lost' weren't what she had expected from this age group, not at all.  
  
Hey, where was Irvine? Moonbay was back at Van's, but Irvine was supposed to be here......  
  
*~*  
  
When it was lunch time, Fiona went to her locker, and found Karl waiting for her.  
  
"Hey, good day?"  
  
"F off."  
  
"Apparently not."  
  
Fiona opened her locker, threw random books in, grabbed her bag for lunch, and slammed the locker shut, making a loud booming sound.  
  
"Do you always take things out on your locker?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Karl smirked, then draped his arms around her shoulders.  
  
"What's up? Your never this angry, what's gotten through to you?"  
  
"It's, that, they, and, urgh! Never mind!"  
  
"I am minding, what happened?"  
  
The care in Karl's eyes touched Fiona, but unfortunately not enough.  
  
"Just drop it, would you?!"  
  
Karl lifted his arms in a sign of surrender, and they silently proceeded to his car, Fiona fuming about immature idiots she had to learn with, and Karl wondering what the hell had happened to his sweet, caring Fiona, to turn her into this.....for lack of a better word, this bitch.  
  
As he started the car, Karl asked Fiona,  
  
"Do you want to have lunch just us two, or do you want to go back to Van's, see how everyone is?"  
  
"Uh, I don't care, I'll just be angry, so I guess you could go to Van's, I'll sit in the car and leave you all alone."  
  
That's Fiona for you. Even when being Queen Bitch, she managed to care about others.  
  
"Uhuh, I'm not exposing them to this, I'm going to use some advise I once heard."  
  
*~*  
  
They drove in silence to the place they had been before, where Karl had let out his anger over Moonbay doing drugs, but this time, it was Fiona stressing.  
  
"It's just, those idiots!!! They don't act their age, they spread nonsense rumours, they're..........they're horrible!!!"  
  
Karl waited until she had let it all out, then saw she was still frustrated, that that had only been the tip of the anger.  
  
She must hold a lot in. No wonder.  
  
Karl taught her how to make an efficient punch, then held his hands up for practise targets.  
  
"Fi, let all your anger out in them, concentrate on the punch, but fuel it with all that anger."  
  
At first, she just concentrated on hitting the target, but then she did use her anger, and started getting wild, punching his hands, then his face, then kicking, then punching him on the hands again, collapsing into his arms.  
  
Sliding down to the ground, Karl held her close, wondering how she could hold that all in, for so long.  
  
He could never do that, his emotions burst through after about half an hour of control.  
  
As she sobbed into his arms, Karl ran his hand around her back, making soothing noises.  
  
When she managed to stop, regaining control of herself, she looked up at Karl, whispering,  
  
"I wish you hadn't seen that,"  
  
But he cut her off, before she felt worse.  
  
"No, I'm glad, now I know even you can't keep everything in, it gives me strength, to know your human like me."  
  
Smiling a little, Fiona ran a hand through her hair, trying to get her thoughts straight, when she realised what she must look like.  
  
Grabbing a mirror, she confirmed that her face had mascara running, eye- shadow smudged, lip-gloss gone, and blotchy red eyes, a totally out of it look.  
  
"OMG, Karl, don't look at me, it's hideous."  
  
"No, it's just you with the fakeness going away, it's the you that's always hidden, to please others. Fi, out here, you don't need to please anyone, you please me no matter what you look like, or how old you act. To me, your my girlfriend, Fiona, the cute 16 year old I met, the girl I fell in love with."  
  
He heard Fiona catch her breathe, then saw her turn to him, and give him a huge hug.  
  
"I love you to, Karl."  
  
"No, don't tell anyone that, they'll use you, but I do know you like me, that's enough.  
  
She snorted, letting go of him.  
  
"I don't care what you say, I love ya, and you can't change that!"  
  
"Oh? Really? What if I took my shoes off?"  
  
"Uh, no, I'd still love you."  
  
"Make you smell my armpits?"  
  
"I'd be alive enough to love you."  
  
"Make you smell Van's shoes?"  
  
"I'd hate you!!"  
  
They laughed, and headed back to school, Fiona's good mood not even phased by her peers jeering her.  
  
*~*  
  
At the end of the day, Fiona's mood was tested by Raven's presence at her locker.  
  
Seriously considering turning around, Fiona braced herself, plastered the trademark smile on her face, and approached, like she hadn't seen him.  
  
Opening her locker, she sighed, turned around, and said,  
  
"Raven, do you not say 'hello' at all?"  
  
"No."  
  
The mild answer, mixed with the truth, made her give an unladylike snort.  
  
Putting her books away, and gathering those needed for homework, Fiona closed the locker, and turned to face him.  
  
"Is there a reason for you to be there?"  
  
Trying her hardest not to sound conceited, Fiona cringed, as that was exactly what it had sounded like.  
  
"Oh, I was wondering, have you seen Reese?"  
  
"Oh, yeah, she taught me some arm strengthening exercises, and tonight we're to start proper training."  
  
This got a grin from Raven, and he waved a two fingered salute, leaving.  
  
Confused, Fiona sighed, leaning against her locker absentmindedly, thinking.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Startled, Fiona turned to see Karl approaching, with Reese beside him.  
  
"Oh, hey you guys."  
  
"Hey."  
  
Smiling at Reese, Fiona sidled over to Karl, squeezing her arm around Karl, happy to find his wrapping around her.  
  
"So, what are you two doing now?"  
  
"Oh, I dunno, prob check on the others. Oh, by the way, Karl, do you know where Irvine is?"  
  
"No, wasn't he here today?"  
  
"Nah, he wasn't in any of his classes, so without Moonbay as well........."  
  
Sighing, Fiona plastered a smile on her face, and felt Karl squeeze her shoulders.  
  
"We'll see if he's at Van's. Wanna come, Reese?"  
  
Shrugging, Reese seemed to hesitate, looking at the two.  
  
"Oh, no, you wont be interrupting anything, there's nowhere at Van's to be alone, so your sweet."  
  
Fiona seemed to read Reese's mind, so the three set off to Karl's car.  
  
"So, where's everybody?"  
  
They found Van, asleep, on the couch, and shook him awake.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Van, did you even get up today?"  
  
"Um, I don't think so........"  
  
"Well get up, you lazy asshole, we'll be checking on Moonbay, you seen Irvine?"  
  
"Uh, not to my knowledge......."  
  
They left Van to the process of waking up........  
  
Moonbay was still asleep, but this was a quiet, rested sleep, and Karl was satisfied that she was fine, so the others were happy, and proceeded to wonder what had happened to Irvine.  
  
Karl was pretty sure he knew, today Dom's school was a teacher's only day, but he couldn't share this knowledge with anyone else, so kept to himself.  
  
Fiona knew Karl was holding something back, but figured that it wasn't to important, as Karl knew what he had to share for the safety of others, so she shrugged it off.  
  
"Maybe he's sick."  
  
"Nah, he was healthy enough last night."  
  
"Maybe he's-"  
  
Van's next suggestion was never heard, as Reese interrupted,  
  
"Can we talk about something else? Your suggestions are going to get worse each time, and your going to get so worried, why don't you just drop it?"  
  
They all shrugged, then started to talk about some music.....  
  
(//("Van, you know your music, right?"  
  
"I guess so, yeah?"  
  
"Well, who sings that one, it goes, uh, 'Don't tell me what to do, and who the fuck are you, Don't tell me what to wear, 'cause I don't give a care.'?"  
  
"Um, oh, it's, damn it Fiona, I know that one, it's, uh,")//)  
  
As the conversation was debating favourite bands,  
  
(//(Van; Evenesence, it's got to be!! Fiona; Good Charlotte!! Karl: Linkin park!!! Reese:  
  
Ashanti!!! Van(eyebrow raised) ; Ashanti? Fiona; that's cool, have your own choice!! Van; top ten groups or solo artists!!!  
  
Fiona; at ten, we (don't you just hate false calls?! I just got three in the last four hours.......so annoying........who the hell rings MY mobile by accident?!) have.......  
  
Reese: Queen!!  
  
Karl: No, Queen's about five  
  
Fiona: More like seven.....  
  
Van: ten should be.......Britney spears!!  
  
Fiona: Only 'cause she looks nice!  
  
Reese: How about ACDC?  
  
Fiona: Yeah, that'll do, next, num nine!!  
  
It ended with....  
  
"So, we decided on number ten, ACDC, Van, if you please?  
  
Van got up at Fiona's request, and played tracks from each band as Fiona called them.  
  
"At ninth, we have......Kelly Rowland!!!"  
  
"At eighth.....Sean Paul!!!"  
  
"Seventh......Fur Patrol!!!"  
  
"Sixth.....50 cent!!!"  
  
"Fifth.......Eminem!!!"  
  
"Fourth.....Ashanti!!!"  
  
"Third.....T.a.T.u!!!"  
  
"Runner up......Linkin Park!!!"  
  
"And first place goes to.......uh, we didn't decided on a first!!!")//)  
  
Eventully, Reece stood up, startling them all.  
  
"Coming?"  
  
With blank looks, they all glanced around, to see who she was talking to, before Fiona clicked.  
  
"Oh, me?"  
  
"Yes, genious, coming?"  
  
Nodding, Fiona followed, spending the next three hours with Reece, learning some punces like those Karl had taught her.  
  
Reece instructed her on the stance, and position, of her body, then circled Fiona as she practised punching the air.  
  
"Just keep hitting flat surfaces, like stone or something, and harden up your first two knuckles, that's what you punch with."  
  
*~*  
  
The next day, everybody was at school, Irvine told everybody that he had had a dentists appointment.......(aha, yeah right!!)  
  
And Moonbay's excuse for the teachers was, "I was throwing up all day, so unless you wanted that, you should be thankful I had the guts to stay home, and then face punishment today."  
  
And Van? He told the truth, 'I slept until school finished, so.....'  
  
*~*  
  
At lunch, Karl told Fiona about a party he had been invited to,  
  
"Yeah, it's a last minute decision party, it's tonight, straight after school, but it wont be to bad, we can leave early, you've got school to morrow but I know the people, it'll be worth going to."  
  
"Who...hang on, what do you mean, I've got got school tomorrow, what about you?"  
  
"Uh, well, I've got, uh, a day off....."  
  
"Karl, what aren't you telling me?"  
  
"There's a trip on, but I can't afford it, so those of us that can't go are having a party."  
  
"Oh, Karl, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Because knowing you, you'd find some money to get me there."  
  
"Yeah, what's so bad about that?"  
  
"Well, it feels wrong, taking other peoples money, and besides, it was a lame trip, to some far away place...."  
  
"Whatever, I could have gotten you there....."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Kissing her forehead, Karl grinned at Fiona, who was slouching in the booth they were in.  
  
"I'd rather be with you then those rich idiots and the pompous teachers."  
  
"Yeah right."  
  
Fiona didn't want to admit it, but she loved it when Karl got all soppy, but when he did it in front of the others, well,  
  
"Hey, Karl, what are you? Taking lessons from a romance novel or something? Cause all I see where your sitting is a pile of sop."  
  
"Oh, shut up, Van."  
  
Moonbay whacked Van around the head, and laughed when he complained.  
  
"Serves you right, Van. That was getting good, then you ruined it!"  
  
"Well I'm sorry for not liking soppy crap, but that? That was worse then soppy crap!!"  
  
"So, Fiona, do you want to come to this party?"  
  
"Sure, I'd love to. Meet me at my locker after last class?"  
  
"Deal, make sure you don't get detention."  
  
"Deal."  
  
*~*  
  
When the bell went for the end of school, Fiona stood up, and shoved her books into her bag, to feel a wetness between her legs.  
  
Ignoring it, guessing it was her mind, Fiona proceeded to her locker.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"Wha- oh, hey."  
  
Karl was standing by her locker, and then when she turned to go, he draped his arm around her shoulders.  
  
"Oh, shit."  
  
"What is it, Fi?"  
  
"Uh, can we swing by my place first?"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Uh, well,"  
  
Fiona's mind was racing.  
  
How could she tell him that she was pretty sure she had just got her first period? Not likely.  
  
*~*  
  
When the last bell had rung that day, Irvine was seen to leave with his peers, ignoring the giggling girls, and now he was at his locker, stashing his books in, grabbing what he'd need for homework, then slammed it shut.  
  
Not owning a car, he proceeded on foot along the streets, determined in his path.  
  
"Irvine!"  
  
//Shit!! Thomas, please, have to leave, or go, or something!!! //  
  
"Hey, the others are out, wanna raid Karl's C.D's?"  
  
Damn, that was tempting. VERY tempting.  
  
"Nah, sorry Thomas, I've got loads of work that's due in tomorrow, can we raid it another time?"  
  
It wasn't necessarily a lie, most of it did have to be handed in the next day, and he'd never said that he was actually going to do it....  
  
"Oh, sweet, see you tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah, see ya."  
  
It felt bad, lying to Thomas, but all guilt evaporated when he turned the corner, and entered a parked car, smiling at Dom, the driver.  
  
*~*  
  
"Um."  
  
Fumbling for words, Fiona opened the door to Karl's 4WD, (wonder how they got there......).  
  
"Hello? Karl, Can I hitch a ride to the party?! Oh, you coming as well, Fiona?"  
  
They both turned to see Reece running towards them, blue backpack flying behind her.  
  
"Hey Reece, sure."  
  
Karl thought for a moment after answering, as Reece stopped at the 4WD, catching her breathe, then added,  
  
"But we might be a bit late."  
  
Reece glanced up at him, asking,  
  
"Why?"  
  
The blonde shrugged, turning his lucious green eyes to gaze at his girlfriend, who was suddenly looking for something in her bag.  
  
"Uh, again, I ask why?"  
  
"Dunno, you might want to ask Fiona, she doesn't seem to want to explain to me."  
  
Blushing a deep crimson, of pure embarrassment, Fiona glanced up at at the nineteen year olds who were watching her.  
  
Cringing, she lowered her gaze,  
  
"Oh, uh,"  
  
//Shit!!! what do I say? 'I'm sorry, Karl, I never dreamt I'd get my period today', can we go to my place so I can stuff a tampon inside myself?'?!! I think not!!! I can't tell Karl!!!!//  
  
"Uh, is it something I could help with?"  
  
Considering Reese's offer, Fiona nodded, then motioned for Reece to shuffle over to the passenger side of the 4WD.  
  
Shrugging, Reece obliged, leaving a confused Karl watching them, and laughing at the comical look that came over Reese's face.  
  
Her eyes became large, then she grinned, turning to face Karl, while Fiona wouldn't meet his eyes.  
  
"To Fiona's it is!!"  
  
Raising his eyebrows in question, Karl dejectedly entered the car at Reese's answering look.  
  
"Your not gunna tell me, are you?"  
  
Seeing Reese's smirk, and Fiona shake her head, with an apologetic smile, Karl sighed, sliding the gears into reverse, and leaving the school grounds.  
  
"So how long are you gunna be?"  
  
Karl glanced ar Reece and Fiona, who were exiting the vechile, trying to decided whether or not to follow them.  
  
"Don't think we'll be that long, so you stay here!"  
  
*~*  
  
Karl sat in his car, arms behind his head, feet on the dash board, seat back as far as it would go, music at it's loudest. It had been half an hour since the girls had left-  
  
"OI!! TURN IT DOWN!!!"  
  
Karl spun around, to see the girls already belted up in his car.  
  
"Oh, uh, sorry."  
  
Turning the music down, Karl drove to the party.  
  
"Is this it?"  
  
Fiona glanced from the house to Karl, confused.  
  
"Yep. Something wrong?"  
  
"Actually, yes, three things. One; Nobody's home, Two; There's no music, and Three; I thought the people coming to this party were the ones who couldn't afford the trip? Whoever lives here definitely could!!"  
  
//What the hell?!//  
  
Karl stared at Fiona, the normally gentle, caring girl, who had just turned into a....a.....bitch!!  
  
"Uh, who are you, and where's Fiona?"  
  
The blonde gave him a death stare, one he never would have believed he'd receive from anybody, let alone her..  
  
//What the hell.....?!//  
  
"I'm waiting for an answer?"  
  
Karl stared at her in disbelief.  
  
Oh well, he might as well answer, for his own safety, as much as for his peace with Fiona.  
  
"Uh, well, the party's in the basement, sound proof walls, and he doesn't care to use his parents money, he lives like his friends."  
  
Fiona snorted, then undid her belt, exiting the vechile.  
  
Following suit, Karl crossed to the other side of his 4WD, to see that Fiona had changed clothes.  
  
She was now wearing, instead of her uniform, a baby-blue halter-neck top, and tight red pants, with flares at the bottom, and though the colours would clash on anyone else, Fiona managed to pull it off, the exposure of her pierced bellybutton tantalising to Karl........Pierced?! Since when?!!  
  
Reece watched as Karl's face went from one of confusion, to approval of Fiona's clothing, then stunned shock, and she guessed that he'd seen Fiona's piercing.  
  
"R.....Reece, s...since when?!"  
  
Laughing, Reece shrugged, joining Fiona.  
  
Karl stayed for a little extra, locking his 4WD, lost in thought.  
  
When had she gotten that piercing? Then he realised something else, as his brain clicked into gear.  
  
The need to go home first, the moods, only telling Reece.....  
  
//Ho!! Fi's PMS'ing!!!//  
  
With a smirk, Karl followed them to the party.  
  
Fiona looked around, at the rather large, unusual, basement.  
  
About the size of two classrooms, it was completely rebellious, posters everywhere, handmade skate ramps lined all the walls, a group of fifty people gathered around a pumping stereo (good charlotte).  
  
"I thought you said he didn't like to use the money?"  
  
"He doesn't, this dude earns all he spends, works somewhere, took him two years for the radio."  
  
They descended the stairs, finding themselves in the midst of the dancing.....ahem.....*not drunk* ahem.....people.  
  
Kicking shins, elbowing people, and using other methods, they managed to get across over to a free empty space, straightening their outfits, Reece and Karl still in their school ones.  
  
Walking over to get herself a drink, Fiona ignored the catcalls she received, wondering how people that old could react to her, three years younger, as though she was their age, when people a year older then her got all tense and jelous?  
  
//Not a bad turnout, for people not going on a trip, not bad at all.//  
  
Reece shoved her way to Fiona, then asked the girl,  
  
"Wanna go dance? Maybe we can convince Karl to."  
  
Shrugging, Fiona followed Reece over to a group of about ten guys, Karl amongst them.  
  
"Karl, dance?"  
  
He turned, to find Fiona and Reece there, smiled, putting his arm around Fiona.  
  
After introducing her, without even telling her who the others were!!!!  
  
"Fi, you know I don't like to dance."  
  
Fiona smiled sweetly at him, the peeled his arm from her, and looked at a brunette guy across from her.  
  
"Fine, but I wanna dance, so.....would you like to dance with me........?"  
  
Not knowing his name, she beckoned to the brunette, amused as his brown eyes flickered to Karl for permission.  
  
Karl gave the slightest nod, and the guy turned to Fiona, smiling,  
  
"Sure, the names Luke."  
  
(I know, you shouldn't use your friends names, but whatever......)  
  
"Well, Reece, grab someone, and let's go!"  
  
Indicating for Reece to take her pick, Fiona observed as Reece went to a guy she called, 'Gary' (I know, another guy I know... bad me, slap my hand.....)  
  
*~**~*  
  
Ok, so I didn't warn you to well that Fiona'd get her period, (not that it matters if your old enough to read this.....)but that would've runied it......I like to think I surprised at least *one* person!!  
  
Anyway, she's sixteen, I keep forgetting, thinking she's thirteen; my age........guess it's just 'cause I know what it's like to be 13, not 16......  
  
Yeah, well, please, anything is accepted, short of death threats......well......I could make an exception...lol.  
  
So........what'd you think?  
  
Yeah, I suggest that after reading this, (or before, I don't really care, but if your reading this, it suggests you've just read the above chapter!! duh!!), yeah, but go read *all* of Taltos' work, it's superb, and if I havn't made any reviews, again it is NOT MY FAULT!!!! The computer's against me, it doesn't like me, but I've managed to squeeze a few goes on at school, adding to my list of fav's, but I won't be able to for a while again......  
  
Now, before I bugger off, my new rule;  
  
For each chapter to be posted, I must get at least ONE review, so I know that at least one person wants me to continue!! (and I'm permitted to go online again......It wasn't me!!!!!!!! I swear!!!!!!) Ahem, let's not go there.......  
  
Dark_lil_Devil 


	4. Chapter 4

Chap 4: Memory's of a fight, and going to a new home.  
  
Warning:!!!  
  
May contain traces of peanuts, sap, bad language, and fluff.  
  
*~**~*  
  
"So where are we going?"  
  
Irvine asked Dom, who was driving, as they stopped at a red light.  
  
"Well, I hear that there's a party on, wanna go?"  
  
Nodding his approval, Irvine sank into his thoughts.  
  
This is so different for me......My first relationship...well, with a guy, and I know nothing abut him! All I know is that he's a good kisser, but relationships bult on passion don't work out to great....maybe this was a bad idea?  
  
His thoughts and muses were abandoned as they pulled into a driveway, and Dom stopped the car.  
  
"Let's go!"  
  
Glancing around when he got out, stretching, Irvine saw someone familiar walking towards the house, his back towards him.....  
  
Shit!  
  
"Shit!"  
  
Dom looked at Irvine, confused,  
  
"What?"  
  
"Fiona and Karl are here!!"  
  
"......so?"  
  
"So? She' one of my closest friends, she doesn't know......"  
  
"That your into guys?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
After a bit of persuasion on Dom's behalf, they went anyway,  
  
*~*  
  
***  
  
We're stuck in a place so dark you can hardly see,  
  
The manner of the matter splits with the words I breathe,  
  
And as the rain drips, the city questions around me,  
  
I block out the sight of at powers to be,  
  
I duck away into the darkness, times up.  
  
I wind up enthrust in a world with eyes shut so tight that it blurs into the world of pretend.  
  
Then my eyes ease open and it's dark again.  
  
***  
  
*~*  
  
Irvines eyes focoused on the roof of his rooms, and his mind slowly drifted into awakness, sadly, as he was still tired.  
  
Proceeding to the kitchen, he stopped breifly to greet Viola, his older sort-of sister, who he flatted with, as it had been her or the orphanage at one point, and now they just flatted anyway, who was watching with interrest Domitan, who had fallen asleep on the couch.  
  
Continuing to the kitchen, he asked,  
  
"Coffee?"  
  
"Nah, had my morning fix of caffine, but who's this?"  
  
Jerking her thumb at Domitan, Viola started to lace up her boots.  
  
"A guy."  
  
"Nah, what's this guys name? You do know him, don't you?"  
  
"Dom, Domitan, a friend."  
  
"Right. What's he doing here?"  
  
"There was a party this side of town last night, it was to late, and he was a tiny bit drunk, so I made sure he didn't drive."  
  
"Did you drink?"  
  
"No, mother."  
  
"Funny. What're you doing up now, anyway?"  
  
"Couldn't sleep, what's the time?"  
  
"6.30, you should try to get some sleep, you'll be tired all day now."  
  
"Oh, and you wont?"  
  
"I'm used to it, well, gotta go, work awaits me."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Sipping his fresh coffee, Irvine retunred to the couch, shoving Dom's legs out of the way so he could sit down.  
  
The awake and alert Domitan asked him,  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"My sister, what? Getting jelous?"  
  
"No, she just asks so many questions, it's like shes your mother."  
  
"Yeah, she does, doesn't she? Oh well, I'm going back to bed. Get me up at seven."  
  
*~*  
  
When morning came, Fiona groaned, stretching out, but hey, that was wrong.....this wasn't her bed!  
  
Eyes snapping open, Fiona sat up.  
  
What the hell?! Where am I?!  
  
As if in answer to her mental question, someone kissed her cheek, asking,  
  
"How you feeling, Fi?"  
  
"Urgh."  
  
Focussing her eyes on the person, Fiona observed Karl, but more importantly, the cup of coffee he was holding.  
  
In one swift movement, the coffee was in her possession, and she was already drinking it.  
  
"Hey, that's mine....."  
  
Sighing in defeat, Karl sat down on the edge of the bed.  
  
"So, where am I?"  
  
Looking around with bleary eyes, Fiona bit back a yelp when her arm screamed a protest at being moved, strange.  
  
This room had blue walls, with bokshelves a closed door, white roof, brown beams, (hehe, guess who's feeling a bit of deja vu right now? hehe, wasn't me....*looks away, acting innocent!!*)  
  
"Your here, I think this is Reece's place."  
  
"......Reece?"  
  
The pain shooting through her body made Fiona immobile, confusing her completely.  
  
"Yeah, she had a bit to much to drink again last night, well, at least, whatever she had, it's being thrown up now."  
  
".....urgh. Poor Reece."  
  
Wanting a better vision of the room, Fiona forced her vision to clear, ignoring her pounding head, throbbing bones, and bent arm.......  
  
"What? Karl, what's wrong with me? I keep seeing that my arms broken, but it's not...."  
  
Karl stared at her for a while, then answered, not meeting her eyes, not even looking at her.  
  
"Don't you remember? You picked a fight with a few older more experienced, most probably drunk fighters, and, well, you didn't get anywhere."I would've helped, I swear Fi, I would've....."  
  
Karl slowly brought his gaze to meet hers, a look of pleading for forgivness. "I would've, but they held me back, I couldn't get out there to help you."  
  
Thinking hard, Fiona remembered something, noise....pain....shouts....Karl..people...fighting....knees in her ribs....  
  
When she opened her eyes again, Fiona found h\she was drenched in sweat, and gave Karl, who was watching her worriedly a weak smile.  
  
"It's...It's alright, I remember.....they were stopping you....you couldn't help it....I'm alright.....it doesn't matter...."  
  
As though trying to prove her point, Fiona forced herself up and out of the bed in one movement, feeling a bad pain in her arm, then her ankle colapsing, hearing a faint dry of 'Fiona' from Karl, and then the clang of the cup hitting the floor, at the same time as her.  
  
*~*  
  
When she woke up the next time, she was back in that bed, this time with Karl and Reece watching her.  
  
Smiling weakly when they noticed her, Fiona asked in a raspy voice,  
  
"Just how bad did I get beat?"  
  
Reece gave her a sympathetic smile as Karl informed her of the broken arm and sprained ankle she had aquired.  
  
"When your up for it, we'll go get you a cast. For now, sleep. Your feeling like crap right about now, hey?"  
  
Nodding slightly, Fiona drifted back into a light, troubled slumber.  
  
*~*  
  
At one thirty, after getting the cast, Fiona suggested they went to Van's, as that's where they would be staying for a while, unbeknownst to Van.  
  
The door opened to admit them, a tired looking Van greeting them, turning to go back to the lounge.  
  
Fiona entered, one arm around Karl, hopping, trying her hardest not to disturb her sprained ankle.  
  
Van glanced up from the couch at the thuds, and gasped,  
  
"Fiona! What the hell happened?!"  
  
"Nothing much, I got into a fight, that's all....."  
  
"That's all?! Karl, where were you?"  
  
Karl looked away, and mumbled something about being held back, then turned to Reece, asking,  
  
"Why were you throwing up, Reece? I didn't see you drink anything last night."  
  
Seeing Reece's face pale, something clicked in Fiona's head.  
  
//Wow....wow.....shit...//  
  
Suddenly, Fiona asked,  
  
"So, why are you home, Van? Shouldn't you be at school?"  
  
"Oh, I came here for lunch, but..........SHIT! Karl, can I get a lift? The bell just went!"  
  
Nodding, Karl left with Van, leaving Fiona and Reece to talk.  
  
Finally, Fiona broke the silence.  
  
"So, are you going to tell them?"  
  
"Tell them what?"  
  
"Oh, come on Reece, I'm not brain dead, admit it."  
  
"Alright,"  
  
Sighing, Reece continued,  
  
"So.......I'm pregnant."  
  
"I knew it!!! Oh Reece, who's the father? What are you going to do with it? When? How long have you known?"  
  
"Slow down. I don't know, don't know, don't know, don't know."  
  
"Do you know anything?"  
  
Sighing, Reece feebly asked,  
  
"That I'm gunna have a baby?"  
  
"Right, so.....to find out all of that, we'll have to get a doctor to give you a test!!"  
  
"But, Fiona,"  
  
"No Reece, this isn't about you any more, this is a baby as well!"  
  
Though it was stern words, Fiona was giggling, acting like an old lady.  
  
"Nah, if you don't want anyone to know, then we'll just tell the guys we're going for my injuries, and then both see a doctor!"  
  
*~*  
  
After Karl got back, they all sat down, thinking and mildly talking, untill Karl sighed at one of Fiona's questions.  
  
"Why did they hold me back? Because they wanted to give you your initiation test."  
  
This confused her completely.  
  
"My what test?"  
  
"Iniatuon test, for the gang they're a part of."  
  
"Gang?"  
  
"Ok, Reece, I believe it's your task to explain, is it not?"  
  
Poking her tongue out at him, Reece turned to Fiona.  
  
"Right. I'm part of a gang. Ah, that beating up was a test, which you passed, by standing up for yourself against gang members. Don't ask me how you can fail that test, you just pass or you don't. Ah, once your healed, you'll be taken to a training place with me, most probably, and after two weeks, you'll have another test, an easier one, and decide yourself wether or not to join the gang."  
  
As this sunk in Fiona's brain, Karl asked,  
  
"For the training, is the punishment the same as it used to be?"  
  
This got through to Fiona.  
  
"Used to be? How would you know, Karl?"  
  
"Ah, I used to be a member of this paticular gang."  
  
"You? You were part of a gang?"  
  
She couldn't believe this, surely he would have told her at some point?!  
  
"Yeah, hard to believe, isn't it? But the punishments, they weren't to friendly."  
  
The sad look in his eyes was obvious, and Fiona wondered just what they had been.  
  
"No, they're better now, just extra duties, no party;, stuff like that. The new leader changed it, he didn't agree with the old way."  
  
"Karl, what was the old way?"  
  
Memorys of girls after they had been drugged and raped, after being beaten to very near death flashed in Karl's mind, but he answered with,  
  
"Nothing, just, nothing."  
  
Not believing him, but with more to think about, Fiona left it at that.  
  
"So, Fi, what do you think?"  
  
"Ah, I'm not sure, do I have to train?"  
  
"Well, even if you do, then don't join, you'll know more selfdefense then before, so I suggest you do."  
  
Karl's opinion on this settled the matter for Fiona, and she agreed.  
  
"But, ah, where is it? Will I still go to school?"  
  
"Ah, your family goes overseas for three weeks, and you stay at a friends, one that doesn't live around here, about an hour away."  
  
"So, I go to a place an hour away, and say I'm visiting a friend? Don't worry about an excuse for my family, havn't got one."  
  
*~*  
  
Irvine showed up at three, after school, and when he saw Fiona, he sweared.  
  
"The last place I come.........."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Oh, nothing, what happened?"  
  
Not wanting to admit that he'd spent his lunch ringing Fiona's place, thankfully not leaving any messages, Irvine drew her attention away.  
  
"Oh, uh, I got into a fight."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was a bit......hypo last night, in a bad mood, and they got on my nerves...guess that'll learn me."  
  
"Right, you alright?"  
  
"As good as a broken arm and sprained ankle will get."  
  
Moonbay arrived, and they all started to ring others and talk, mainly relaxing as much as they could, with all the secrets and topic changing.  
  
*~*  
  
The next day dragged to long for Irvine, Karl, Moonbay, Van and Thomas, who all wanted to be with Fiona, though when Karl met Irvine in Zoids class again, he had a plan.  
  
After a whispered argument, Karl swung at Irvine, his fist colliding with his jaw.  
  
Irvine yelled, and kicked Karl in the ribs, only to find Karl's fist launched into his guts, making his fall to the ground, when, right on time, Mr Hiltz interrupted them, yelling,  
  
"What Do You Think Your Doing?!"  
  
The two guys kept glaring at each other, ignoring the teacher.  
  
"Shuboltz!! Get out of my class, your not to be back for two weeks!!!"  
  
Scowling, Karl left, waiting just out of sight of the door.  
  
"You, go to Dr D, he can deal with this."  
  
Nodding, Irvine left, wondering how he'd get out of visiting the principal.  
  
Karl met him outside, and they grinned at each other.  
  
"Hook, line, sinker."  
  
"Yeah, but I've gotta go to the principal now."  
  
For some reason, Karl's grin didn't fall at all, it merely grew, and he dragged Irvine off to a door labeled, 'Principal'.  
  
Without so much as a knock Karl barged in, Irvine following reluctantly.  
  
"Hey, old man."  
  
The office was a normal size, and in the middle was an old man, throwing darts at a board, but having been startled by Karl's entrance, his throw was way off, about two metres from his target.  
  
"Karl!! Please, don't tell me that-"  
  
"No, old man, Irvine's the one that got sent to you."  
  
"Irvine?"  
  
Turning to face the second teenager, the old guys face broke into a smile.  
  
"Someone new!!!"  
  
Irvine was amused.  
  
The old guy was glad for different students to get into trouble?  
  
"Well, to who's actions do I owe this pleasure?"  
  
Ignoring the strange use of english in the sentance, Irvine replied,  
  
"I got into a fight."  
  
"Oh, a violent one? goodie. Havn't had a challenge in ages."  
  
"Calm down old man, you know Fiona, the blonde?"  
  
"Her? Yes, the one who hangs out with Flyheight? The one always late?"  
  
"Yeah, my girlfriend-"  
  
"Isn't she a bit young, Karl?"  
  
"NO, and stay outta my buisness, old man, but she's away today, we're a bit tense, worried-"  
  
"You staged a fight to get out. Same old story, Karl, get an imagination, would you?"  
  
Irvine watched the conversation with a smirk.  
  
So Karl was familiar with the old guy? How?  
  
"Oh, forgive me, Irvine, there will be no punishment, just seeing Karl is enough for me, not to have to be near one of his friends, I perfer the normal students-"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Both guys yelled at the same time, then became furious with Dr D's reply of,  
  
"What? Your not normal to be friends with Karl so......hey, come back!"  
  
The two guys left Dr D to his insults, and ran for Karl 4WD, jumping in.  
  
*~*  
  
A week later, Fona's arm was still in a cast, but her ankle was nearly better, though she was only able to use it for a short amount of time, and to run was dangerous.  
  
Reece had started to train her again, still on punchs, now wtih a punching bag, but no gloves, proving that her hands were able to become stronger.  
  
After returning to school, Fiona found that her cast gave her a new identity, with loads of strangers wanting to sign it, so that when she got a new one, within one day, that two had no room left on it.  
  
Reece did go and get the tests, but Fiona only knew that she had been for three weeks, as Reece woudn't admit as to whom the father was.  
  
Fiona's only reply to this had been,  
  
"As long as it's not Karl's, Irvine's, or Van's, I don't mind." After being assured it wasn't, they returned to the car.  
  
*~*  
  
a couple of weeks later  
  
*~*  
  
When Reece started to show, worryingly so, they decided that then was a good time to train at that place, and so it was, Fiona saying goobye for two weeks, and the others having no idea.  
  
*~*  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Home sweet smelly home."  
  
Reece got Karl to park the car, then jumped out, still agile despite the baby she carried inside herself.  
  
Fiona exited a little slower, starting around.  
  
This place was huge.  
  
Not expensive, but huge.  
  
There must have been three levels, and a large courtyard.......  
  
"Reece, did this used to be a school?"  
  
"Bingo!"  
  
Shaking her head in amusment, Fiona followed reece through the front door, watching as Reece greeted others that were around, seemingly knowing everyone.  
  
"Hey Reece!"  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Long time, no see, Reece!"  
  
"Same here!"  
  
After they actually entered the building, Reece stopped at a desk, seemingly the reception, but what would have been a secritairys desk.  
  
"Hey, reece signing in, with 1763."  
  
A guy with sandy hair gazed at her, repeating,  
  
"1763?"  
  
"Yep, that's the one. Oh, can we have adjoining rooms?"  
  
Fiona watched as the guy Reece was talking to, who looked about twenty, raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, ops, sorry, I meant to say first that 1763 is for third floor."  
  
The eyebrow lowered.  
  
After a bit of fluffing around, Fiona was handed a pile of papers, told to fill them out by the end of the day.  
  
By the second floor, Karl had joined them, and was carrying half the papers for her, greeting as many people as Reece was.  
  
At the next floor, Reece took out a key, and opened a door about half-way down the corrider.  
  
"Welcome to your room for the next few weeks."  
  
"Here?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
Entering, Fiona found a single bed, dresser, and a small room, with the door she had entered, and three others.  
  
"Let's see what's behind these doors."  
  
Taking another key, Reece opened one door, exposing another room, similar, but with a few things more homlike in it, like photos and posters.  
  
"My room!"  
  
"Man, you still sleep in there?"  
  
Karl had followed, and was now sitting on the bed, watching them with mild interest.  
  
"Yes, you've got a problem with that?"  
  
"It's been like that since you first came here to train, five years ago."  
  
This confused Fiona.  
  
"Five years?"  
  
"Yeah, we started early."  
  
Reece proceeded to the next door, exposing a clean bathroom, with a welcoming shower except.......  
  
"Reece, where's the hot water tap?"  
  
"Oh, you earn hot water and those sort of privlages later, as your training gets better."  
  
"I have to earn a hot shower?"  
  
"And hot food, warm bed, shoes.....you have to work hard to get things here."  
  
Fiona sighed, and walked dejectedly back to where Karl was.  
  
"Bring me hot water?"  
  
"Sorry, no shortcuts, you've got to prove you can handle this, just as much as anyone else does."  
  
"Asshole."  
  
"Spoilt brat."  
  
Reece made disgusted noises when the two began to kiss, reminding them she was present.  
  
"Look, I'll leave you two alone for goodbyes later, but right now, I've got the privelage of howing her around, so come on. Behind this door is your own gym, where you can work out n peace."  
  
Fiona stared.  
  
It was the size of a classroom, which she suspected it had been, and was filled with weights, machines, and even a cabnit filled with water bottles.  
  
"We may get bad food, but the water here is as good as it gets, you have to stay healthy at least."  
  
As these facts all settled into her mind, Fiona was draggde away by Reece.  
  
"We've got to find your schedule.......let me guess, you put it with the other papers?"  
  
Nodding mutely, Fiona watched as Reece threw the pieces of paper everywhere, working through them untill she reached what she wanted.  
  
"Oh, don't worry, there's no need for a clean room, it can be as messy as you want."  
  
Reece stood, and showed Fiona her schedule.  
  
"This is todays list........you should be in sword fighting, then lunch, then kick boxing, then a shower break, then english, then personal time, then dinner, and there's going to be a party, and tomorrow you've got these,"  
  
Pointing all the days out to her, Reece laughed at her question,  
  
"That's all good, but when do I sleep?"  
  
"Oh, everybody asks that, you don't. It's that simple, you just don't sleep. Oh, and I'll have to change this, they've got you down as experienced in everything........must've missed that part of it........one thing, girls aren't allowed in the basement, and guys aren't allowed third floor, it's just an old room, it means no guys in the girls rooms, and vise versa. Ah, yeah, I've got to show you around. Actually, how about I get a yearmate to show you? They've made extensions since I was last here......yeah, come on."  
  
Leaving the room, Reece laughed when Karl asked if he was allowed up there, on third floor, since he was a guy and all.  
  
"Why wouldn't you be alloud up here?"  
  
"Girls quarters, no guys, yeah Karl go say hi to some others, we'll be back later."  
  
Fiona followed Reece to another door, and smiled when it opened, to reveal at least ten other teenage girls.  
  
"Reece!!!"  
  
At least half of them squealed in delight, while others settled for a pleased expression.  
  
"Hey! Listen, I need to get a guide for me and my girl, Fiona, OI!"  
  
Shy, Fiona had stood as far from the door as she could without Karl stopping her, but Reece conned the girl into the room.  
  
"So, what are you all doing in Raylene's room?"  
  
"She's gone, couldn't handle it, and this is now Thorn's room."  
  
"Thorn?"  
  
A girl with blonde hair and grey stood up, and embraced Reece.  
  
"Thorn? I thought you were going for Rose?"  
  
"Decided on Thorn. I like it better, now."  
  
Fiona raised her eyebrows at that, had this girl changed her name or something?  
  
After a few more greetings, Thorn exited with them.  
  
"So, Thorn, why was everybody in there?"  
  
"Oh,"  
  
Startled, the girl of about eighteen turned to face Reece.  
  
"Didn't you hear?"  
  
"Hear what? Hang on, the girls only come together in the leaders room when one has been shoved out..........who got burnt?"  
  
Fiona only understood very little of this, but when she asked later, being shoved out was when you were kicked out, not to be a gang member, for one of a few reasons, including not being able to handle it, disobeying a serious rule, getting pregnant with another candidate, or fighting another student, of course, only when the intent was death, or just as bad.  
  
"Cornet, she slept with Jeremey, got pregnant.......speaking of, how long?"  
  
Blushing, Reece asked,  
  
"Is it that obvious?"  
  
"I havn't seen you since you were anerxic looking, you think you can get this past me? So, who's the father? Anyone I know?"  
  
"No, you don't know him, so they got rid of Jeremey? That's a bit harsh, others have done that before, they didn't get rid of them...."  
  
"Yeah, but he didn't only get her preg, he got caught doing drugs three times, smoking five, and skipping all the time......"  
  
"Isn't that bad for him? I mean, didn't he come from an orphanage? Isn't it better for him here?"  
  
"Apparently he didn't think so."  
  
After a short silence, Reece started walking again, joining arms with Fiona, who was very quiet.  
  
"Come on, Fi, don't be shy, we've got to show you around. Maybe it wasn't a good for you to see all the girls at once, they can be.....intimidating."  
  
This scored a snort from Thorn, who linked arms on Fiona's other side.  
  
"You've got that right, they're bloody rowdy bitchs, but it can't be helped."  
  
"Alright, Thorn, we've got to find the......well, let's show Fi her teacher that she's supposed to be with now, it's........  
  
*~*  
  
Right..........no comment.........thanx 4 the reviews!!!!!!!*happy grin!!* 


	5. Chapter 5

Ok, hey, I'm back!! Hope you had had/having a great time, and enjoy!!  
  
I don't own, blah blah blah!!  
  
*~*~*  
  
Fiona awoke to the sight of the floor, very early morning sunlight, and Reece towering over her.  
  
"What the hell.........Reece?"  
  
"Get up, we're not allowed into breakfast until you get your uniform."  
  
"Uniform?"  
  
"Yeah, hurry, breakfast closes at seven thirty, and there's the lot of items to choose from."  
  
"Seven thirty........what's the time?"  
  
"Six forty-five, so hurry!!"  
  
"Six........night."  
  
With that, Fiona attempted to get back onto her bed, but instantly stopped at Reece's words of,  
  
"If you go back to sleep, when you next wake up, you'll be in the shower, and remember, there's no hot water."  
  
Instantly, Fiona was up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.  
  
*~*  
  
"So, in here, we have,"  
  
Flinging open the door, Reece shoved Fiona inside.  
  
"The uniform selection."  
  
It appeared to be the library, but instead of books, the shelves were lined with .......boxes.  
  
At the back, where Reece led Fiona, there was seven people, and after the oldest quickly talked to Reece, two others, the guy and girl about thirteen, directed them to some rows that had each item in each different colour.  
  
"Your allowed ten different items, and three of each ten, so either three blue tops, or the black, red and the blue one or whatever."  
  
*~*  
  
At breakfast, Fiona was wearing black gloves, with no fingers, and the patch over her knuckles and the back of her hand cut out, the tight black top, with 3/4 sleeves that flared just below the elbow, and guys black baggy pants.  
  
Her belt was red, with yellow stitching, so she wore her new bandanna, that she had brought with her, that was yellow with red stitching. She wasn't aloud to have footwear yet, she hadn't earnt it, but after confirming it with Reece, Fiona had donned some ankle length red socks, completing her outfit.  
  
(her hair was in two pigtails under her bandanna)  
  
Looking around, still trying to wake up, Fiona saw lots of people, some girls she recognised, but none of the guys were familiar, as she hadn't met them yet, but that guy two tables across.....he looked familiar......that green hair.......the way he half-slouched.......  
  
"O'Connel?"  
  
The guy swivelled around, saw Fiona, and grinned sheepishly.  
  
"Fiona, right? We've got the class together........?"  
  
"Science, yeah, I sit behind you. Wow, when did you get here?"  
  
"Twelve days ago, and, uh, sorry about the few weeks ago in class........"  
  
//~//~//~//  
  
Fiona half listened as the teacher droned on about some sort of chemical, spending half her concentration on what she was doing, pouring liquids together with Moonbay into glass vials, and the rest of her concentration was being used on.......eavesdropping to the two guys in front of her.  
  
"Just tell the teacher....."  
  
"No! I can fix it, I think!"  
  
The green haired guy on the left sighed, and watched apprehensively as the blonde guy did something, and then Fiona heard the,  
  
"Huh! Told you it was-"  
  
Bang!  
  
"-fine."  
  
There wasn't much of the noise, but there was the sort of steam coming from the two guys, and the blonde seemed to have hurt his hand.  
  
Laughing along with Moonbay, Fiona shut up when the teacher approached, telling the blonde to go to the nurses office, and then he started yelling,  
  
"O'Connel!! What did you think you were doing?!"  
  
"It, it wasn't me sir, he-"  
  
"Don't you blame it on him!! Get out of here, O'Connel, I'm sure the principal will be glad to meet you!!"  
  
That wasn't right! The guy, O'Connel, hadn't done anything!!  
  
"Sir,"  
  
Surprised at herself for speaking up, Fiona swallowed hard, and continued,  
  
"He didn't do anything, the other guy, he did something, and this guy, O'Connel, he said to tell you, but the other guy thought he could fix it-"  
  
"Did I ask for your opinion?! Get out of here, O'Connel!! And you, Lynette?! Just because you were put up the grade doesn't mean I can't punish you!! Detention, after school."  
  
Great.  
  
That's what you get for being helpful.  
  
Detention.  
  
//~//~//~//  
  
Giggling at the memory, Fiona grinned at him.  
  
"Don't worry, I was already in detention from Hiltz, didn't remember to check my sights alignment or some crap like that. Oh well, at least there's no Hiltz here, or stupid simulations!!"  
  
O'Connel grinned at her, the picture of an evil grin forming,  
  
"Your right, there isn't simulations, we use real Zoids, and real battles."  
  
"Real?! When?! I checked my schedule....."  
  
"Saturday and Sunday, and you'll start in the command wolf."  
  
"Co......command wolf?"  
  
Choking on the words, Fiona stared at him.  
  
"Yeah, I wasn't up to that before, but now I'm in the Pteris. Seems I have the knack for flying Zoids."  
  
"Wow. They don't let you *near* the simulation Ziods like that, let alone *real* ones!!"  
  
"That's what I like about this place, they treat us fair, no matter what your age. You start off in the beginners like the six year old would, not matter how old you are."  
  
"Cool. No age groups?"  
  
"Nope. Your in groups with those of your abilities. You should be used to being with different ages, but I'm still not used to this six-year old in my kick boxing group......"  
  
They're conversation kept going, but was cut off by Reece dragging Fiona away.  
  
"Come ON!! You've got five minuets to be ready for your sword class!!!"  
  
"Uh, I am, aren't I?"  
  
Reece shrugged, and led Fiona away to her first class.  
  
*~*  
  
"And those of you on forging yours, go, those of you on staffs, line up with the partner."  
  
Listening to the teachers instructions, Fiona had no idea what they meant.  
  
"Ah, are you 1763?"  
  
"Oh, um,"  
  
Thinking hard about what the number was that she'd be referred to by the teachers, Fiona nodded.  
  
"You're with me, I'll just start the others off, and then get you started."  
  
Nodding mutely, Fiona watched as her classmates extracted wooden staffs from lockers at the teachers commands, and after he spent five minutes drumming the beat of blocks and attacks into them, (one, high, two mid, three low, trade! One high, two mid, three low, trade!), he turned to Fiona.  
  
"Alright, grab the staff from one of the bins down the back, it'll be yours until it breaks or you advance, so pick well."  
  
Examining them, she turned to the teacher.  
  
"Excuse me, Sir, but how can I tell what one is right if I don't even know what to look for?"  
  
He grinned, and explained the finer details, then added,  
  
"But if your in the street fight, it's not like there'll be loads of sizes to choose from, so don't get to comfortable. Actually......if I changed the sticks around now and then........"  
  
He ended up rambling to himself in thought, so Fiona selected the stick about her height, and the comfortable weight for her, then turned back.  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Looking at her, he snapped out of his thoughts.  
  
"Right. Now, this is how your stance should be, no, left leg there......."  
  
For the next ten minuets, Fiona worked on her stance, then her posture, then she had the levels exampled to her, (one high, two mid, three low, trade!)  
  
Shakily, Fiona raised her staff to block the teachers gentle hits, and in turn, learnt how to attack safely, not leaving her side unprotected as she leant in to cause damage.  
  
After about half an hour of this, the doors swung open, distracting Fiona, and as she turned to look, she earnt herself the rap in her side.  
  
"Ow....."  
  
"Never let your attention wander. Take five, I need to talk."  
  
Nodding, Fiona slowly walked over to her water bottle, sculling most of it from early morning exhaustion, then glanced around to see who had earnt her the whack.  
  
'Raven....? What's he doing here?'  
  
The teacher saw her watching, and grinned briefly at Raven before signalling her to join them.  
  
"1763, this is Raven, Raven-"  
  
"Yes, we know each other."  
  
"Right, well, as I need to tend to the other losers here,"  
  
He grinned as the eavesdroppers squealed at the indignity of his remark,  
  
"Then stop listening and you wont hear me!"  
  
There was the bit of laughter, and the few 'ow's from those that had forgotten to block.  
  
"Anyway, while I tend to them, Raven will partner you, and show you how the true pro works, I'm sure."  
  
Raven merely nodded at her, then silently proceeded to where Fiona had been before, holding the staff up in the attack position.  
  
"Mirror me."  
  
Going through the same attacks and techniques, Fiona wondered if she'd ever get used to it, then concentrated as Raven started the whole, (one high, two mid, three low,) but he did it the new amount of times each round, keeping Fiona at the need to be aware.  
  
When the bell went at 9.00am, Fiona sighed, sliding down the wall, squirting the last of her water into her parched mouth.  
  
Thorn startled her when she asked,  
  
"Raven likes you, you know him or something?"  
  
Glancing up at the older girl, Fiona sighed, fighting to stay awake.  
  
"Uh, what do you mean, 'likes me'?"  
  
"He went easy on you!"  
  
"Easy?!"  
  
"He didn't hit hard, he went slowly, he let you take breaks, you were aloud time to correct your stance, normally he just keeps going, no matter what."  
  
"Why would he go easy on me?"  
  
"I dunno, you his friend or something?"  
  
" 'tis to early. Yeah, we went, er, go, er, went to the same school. But we never really were *friends*, we just......knew each other? Does that help?"  
  
"Not really. Have you ever talked to him?"  
  
"Uh.......yeah, he rang me and asked if we could talk, so we did. Hang on how'd he get my number?"  
  
"Does Reece know it?"  
  
".....yeah?"  
  
"There you go. He probably asked her for it. So, what'd you two talk about?"  
  
"Oh just some stuff about Karl and, yeah."  
  
"Karl........?"  
  
"Shoebultz."  
  
"You know *Karl*?!"  
  
"Yeah..........we're going out."  
  
Thorn's face lit up, and from then on, it was like her and Fiona had been best friends forever.  
  
"So what's Raven doing here?"  
  
"Don't you know? He's our leader boss person."  
  
"So why was he training with me?"  
  
"He likes to stay with every low candidate, mostly,"  
  
Smirking she added,  
  
"The weak ones,"  
  
Normally, Fiona would have taken offence to that, but she couldn't be stuffed.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Dunno, guess it's to help, 'cause while whoever he partners isn't allowed hot food, neither is he."  
  
They both shuddered at the thought of doing that voluntarily.  
  
A slightly longer bell then the other sounded, signalling that the food for morning tea was now provided.  
  
Thorn jumped to her feet, hauling Fiona up behind her.  
  
"Come on! They've got delicious food!"  
  
*~*  
  
The cafeteria was crawling with people, all seeming to want food, as the long line like the snake nearly made it out the door, at least the hundred people all waiting.  
  
Entering, Fiona found herself dragged to the back of the line, next to Reice.  
  
"So, what've you been up to today, Reice?"  
  
"Oh, you know, catching up with old friends, that sort of stuff."  
  
When her part of the line got to the food, Fiona was amazed.  
  
The selection was mostly different types of rolls, mainly the foot long each.  
  
Fiona was amazed with the amount of food her friends took, at least of roll each.  
  
She couldn't eat that much for morning tea! Lunch, maybe, but that was just to much!!!  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Turning, she saw O'Connel  
  
"Hey, tell me, is this the bad joke, or am I expected to eat all of this?"  
  
He just grinned at her, selecting himself the roll.  
  
Grabbing the small chicken roll, Fiona followed him, then headed towards where Thorn was sitting.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
Whirling around when O'Connel grabbed her arm, she waited for an explanation.  
  
"Sorry!"  
  
He grinned cheesily at her, forcing her to break the smile.  
  
"Ah, nobody told you?"  
  
"Told me what?"  
  
"That for morning tea, lunch, and dinner, you have to sit with your level, so you can't sit over there."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Sighing, he explained the whole thing to her."  
  
"Oh, I get it, the people that have finished training or are teachers get those five tables, the ones with hot water get those ten, those other ten are for hot food people, trust me, you don't want to sit near them, they like to tease, and these last ten are for us, trainees with no credits to our names."  
  
Looking at the said tables, Fiona waited for O'Connel to confirm her recount, then noticed the certain grey haired guy sitting at one about five metres away, one of the trainees tables.  
  
"What's Raven doing there?"  
  
As O'Connel went to answer this, it became apparent Raven himself had heard, because as he lifted his gaze to Fiona's, he replied.  
  
"Surely they've all told you by now?"  
  
"Raven, I'm sorry,"  
  
"Just sit."  
  
Obeying, Fiona indicated for O'Connel to sit as well, then noticed that the whole cafeteria had become eerily silent.  
  
Ignoring it, she began to eat, as were the two guys, after O'Connel remembered to sit, but eventually the looks in their direction and whispers of, 'new girl' and 'Raven', got to her, forcing her to put her hardly touched roll down, and sigh.  
  
"Alright, what's with everybody here?And as to before, been told what?"  
  
Raven smirked in what could be taken as the sad or 'how ironic' smirk, or Fiona did at least,  
  
"That I do everything the same as my 'newest' candidate, so whenever I can I just,"  
  
Shrugging, Raven appeared to have no reason to join the new members.  
  
"I dunno, I just do, and they,"  
  
Indicating the whole room, Raven continued,  
  
"Can't believe I'm talking."  
  
"Why can't they believe your talking to me? Is it forbidden or something?"  
  
"No, I only talk when there's the need. It's most likely they've never seen me talk before."  
  
"Huh, sounds like you. Don't you have to make speeches and stuff?"  
  
This earnt two snorts, one from O'Connel and one from Raven.  
  
"Yeah, how's this sound, 'Hi. Have fun, work hard, bye' "  
  
Fiona stared.  
  
"Your joking?"  
  
Raven snorted again, and added,  
  
"It was going to be 'Hi', but Reece,"  
  
He shot an evil glare in her general direction,  
  
"Decided that was snobbish, and made up the rest for me. Like I'd say that voluntarily."  
  
"So you don't talk to them, why?"  
  
He shrugged, then added with the smirk,  
  
"Why bother? They're just these annoying learners."  
  
"Raven! That wasn't nice!!"  
  
"So?"  
  
"So?!"  
  
Fiona echoed him in the stunned tone, then stood, picking her roll up.  
  
"Come on, O'Connel, we're going to sit with people that care about others feelings!"  
  
"Sit down."  
  
Fiona turned to find Raven grinning at her, and then he kicked her chair out for her from under the table, making her smile.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Pretending to be oblivious to his actions, Fiona grinned when he sighed.  
  
"I'm sorry, alright? Would you just, sit down?"  
  
Battering her lashes at him with exaggerated acceptance, Fiona slid back into the seat, still aware that the whole cafeteria was watching and listening.  
  
They talked about mindless topics, until it was five minuets from bell, and people started to leave so that they could be ready.  
  
"So, what've you guys got next?"  
  
Trying to remember what she had, Fiona glanced at O'Connel, who replied duly,  
  
"Archery. You?"  
  
"Uh.........kick boxing. What's so bad about archery?"  
  
"Nothing, if you can hit the target."  
  
Smiling softly for him, Fiona turned to Raven.  
  
"What've you got?"  
  
He smirked, and replied,  
  
"Guess I've got kick boxing."  
  
"What? You gunna start stalking me now or something?"  
  
"Now, why would that be the bad thing?"  
  
She threw her arms up in despair.  
  
"I just can't get away from him!!"  
  
They left, fully aware that everybody in the cafeteria had been silent, watching and listening to them.  
  
*~*  
  
By lunchtime, O'Connel found Fiona draped over the chair, incoherently mumbling.  
  
"What?"  
  
She didn't even open her eyes to see who it was, only managed to mumble,  
  
"Food,"  
  
As she continued to mumble, O'Connel sighed, then fetched her the large roll, chicken like she had had before.  
  
Without the word, she grabbed it from him, and started to eat it as fast as possible.  
  
"Told you to eat your morning tea."  
  
He smiled ruefully as she took the time to flash an evil glare at him, before resuming the consumption of the roll.  
  
They sat in silence until Raven arrived, with Fiona on her second roll.  
  
Raven laughed when he saw the wrappers around Fiona, and as Fiona started to make the rude gesture at Raven, she accidentally started to choke on her food.  
  
By the time she'd regained her breathe, Raven laughed so bad he started to get tears in his eyes, and he gasped,  
  
"Shame!"  
  
Poking her tongue out at him, then rolling her eyes, Fiona wondered once again why the whole cafeteria was still watching them  
  
'Surely they've gotten over it by now? That was this morning!'  
  
Reice copied her peers, eating in near silence, but unlike them, when she was done, she rose from her seat, nodded at Thorn, and proceeded over to Fiona.  
  
"Come."  
  
Putting her hand on the startled girls chair, Reice nodded her head towards the door.  
  
"We've got some stuff to do."  
  
Shrugging slowly, Fiona rose, only just able to.  
  
Reice led her outside, where they found Thorn, who had made the belly-flop onto the small trampoline.  
  
Looking around, Reice settled herself onto the swing in the small area that had used to be the playground, and was now just the place to hang out.  
  
After careful consideration, Fiona made the jump up the side of the slide, landing quite comfortably in the middle of it.  
  
"Alright, spill."  
  
Confused, she glanced down at Reice, who was staring intently at her.  
  
"Spill what?"  
  
Reice sighed, and closed her eyes, gently swinging back and forth, her short sleeved top getting the bit dirty from the rust.  
  
"I've known Raven for his whole life, about seventeen years, and he's never said that much to me, or anyone else when I was around, since we were about ten. I'm his sister for Christ's sake!"  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Wow's right. So how'd you get him to talk? He's never said one word to me! Apart from speeches, that's the first time I've heard him talk!"  
  
Fiona turned to Thorn, disbelievingly,  
  
"Never?"  
  
"Never."  
  
"Huh. I dunno, he knows you better, and for longer, Reice, so why talk to me? I mean, yeah, I was in his class at school, but that's nothing, he's hardly ever talked to me,"  
  
"Oh, that park thing, right?"  
  
"Yeah, how'd you know?"  
  
Glancing at Reice, Fiona saw the bitter smile overcome her features,  
  
"When he asked me to start training you before your recruiting, well, that was one of the few times he's said anything to me voluntarily."  
  
"For real?"  
  
"Real."  
  
Fiona was startled, why would Raven talk to her, if he wasn't supposed to talk to anybody?  
  
All three of them stayed there, deep in thought, Fiona absentmindedly humming the nonsense tune under her breath until the bell went.  
  
*~*  
  
The rest of that day consisted of archery, beginners lessons in ways of the gang, the break to get cleaned up, then study, (language), for Fiona, and by dinner, she was completely exhausted.  
  
Her arms ached from holding the bow and string into position for an hour and the half during archery, she was yet to actually let loose an arrow, her head was spinning from information, and then her hands hurt from all the typing in language.  
  
Letting her aching body sink gratefully onto her bed, Fiona noticed that what had seemed like the stiff bed was now silk like bliss to her body.  
  
"Knock knock,"  
  
Lifting her head slightly, Fiona muttered something like the response to Thorn, who was smirking at her from the doorway.  
  
"Come, young lady, we have dinner, and then we need to see what you're going to wear."  
  
'wear to what, bed?'  
  
"What...?"  
  
Making the mistake of letting her eyes close again, Fiona was still only half surprised by the feeling of Thorn pulling her up.  
  
"Urgh..."  
  
"Come on, that's no way to act! Go, have the nice cold shower, wake up, we'll get some dinner, then get you ready."  
  
"Cold shower?"  
  
Popping one eye open at Thorn, Fiona made the mistake of sitting back down on the nice, soft, welcoming bed-  
  
"Get up!"  
  
Truly disappointed at being denied the wonderful bed again, Fiona made her way to the nice COLD shower.  
  
"Thorn?"  
  
Yelling to Thorn, who was heard to answer from Fiona's room, Fiona wondered what she had meant, but more importantly,  
  
"Do you have hot water?"  
  
Laughing, she answered,  
  
"No, I went for hot food, why?"  
  
"Damn, I need the hot shower!!!"  
  
Laughing again, Thorn told Fiona to hurry up, and that when she was done to meet her in her room.  
  
"Your room?"  
  
"Yeah, where Reice first took you, I'll be waiting, 'k?"  
  
"Sweet!"  
  
*~*  
  
Fiona knocked on the door, then opened it when she heard,  
  
"It's open!"  
  
Entering the room, Fiona was surprised to see Thorn, well, dressed like the slut.  
  
"Uh, Thorn, what's with the clothes?"  
  
She looked at herself, then laughed mildly.  
  
"Don't worry, I'm like, one of the gang's many sluts, apart from I only dress like it, I'm not the *true* slut, like some........."  
  
"Right, but why are you dressed like that anyway?"  
  
"Oh, shit, I forgot to tell you!"  
  
Fiona waited for Thorn to explain herself, watching as Thorn seemed to gather her thoughts together.  
  
"Right, well, every night, there's the party, and unless it says something different on the notice-board, then it's still on, open to anyone, and your coming to tonight's one, as it's for people from this place only, no outsiders, so that's about half the normal people."  
  
"Outsiders?"  
  
"People in the gang, or friends, that aren't here to train or whatever. Anyway, we've got to get you ready. Now, did you bring any other clothes, or will we have to get you some of my stuff?"  
  
"Well, I was kinda hoping for something like this, so I packed some stuff, it's not that great, but it'll have to do..."  
  
*~*  
  
Well, how'd you like that?  
  
Hopefully you did!! 


	6. Chapter 6

Akaies, (yes, I think I made that up. Oh well.)  
  
Firemoon;  
  
If you don't update Love or Hate soon, I'll take this cookie, and shove it down your throat. HURRY UP!!!! And thanx for the cookie!!! Interesting... good word to describe my work...... interesting. I usualy go for 'mentally screwed up' or something like 'a load of time wasting rubbish that goes nowhere' Oh, beta stop going on, THANKS!! (lurve ya work!!)  
  
Sanity-Stealing-Lawn-Gnome; Michiko; That's a good thing to hear, it makes me happy!!!! Ja'ne means something like bye, right? Sorry, I'm..... well, not educated in other languages. The futherest I've gotten is Baka, which I think means stupid, or in my mind, things a bit harsher then that!!! Oh well, Thanx!! And hurry up with ur work!!  
  
Taltos; Fight scenes not being bad? *bursts into laughter* if only you knew!! *wipes tear from eye* Oh crap, that's rich. Anyways, thanks for reviewing this!! You kept me going long enough to get MORE reviewers!! But, thanks!!! Then again, I should be jelous. Why? Have you even looked at how many you got for Aluhobia?! I nearly had a heart attack!! I should have expected it, but wow!!! You're lucky.... and I'm jelous!! But then again, to get your review, that's kinda better, 'cause you got all their reviews, right? Did that make sense? Hope so! Oh, I think the start of Dreams might have been one or ur's that I lyked..... T_T I dunno....  
  
Disclaimer; I am turning this into an owner. I don't know if I thought of this, or saw it somewhere, so whatever.  
  
Owner; Um, let's see............. I own Thorn, my storyline, myself, *when I'm 18*, and my two Linkin Park CD's. Happy?  
  
Now, that all aside, take this cookie, (hands readers a cookie each) and enjoy my story.  
  
*~**~*  
  
"Done."  
  
Fiona blinked furiously, while resisting the urge to rub her eyes. "What the hell was that?"  
  
"Oh, some stuff, it's a bit stronger then mascara..."  
  
"Damn right it is!"  
  
"Stop your whining, and let me get a look at you!"  
  
Sighing, Fiona stood, slowly turning, so that Thorn, who was seated on the ground in Fiona's room, could make sure she was ready.  
  
She was wearing the clothes she had worn on her initiation test, though she hadn't known it then, and seemed to have memories with these clothes, no matter how stupid it sounded, even to her. She nervously smoothed her baby-blue halter top, then stood, her red flares falling to her ankles, her chained belt jingling at her hip. They proceeded down the hall, meeting with various other girls, all dressed suggestively in mini- skirts and the likes with only a few like Fiona, good looking, but not over- doing it. Thorn greeted them all cheerfully, and Fiona felt excited, although totally exhausted.  
  
Outside, where the party seemed to have originated from, they found O'Connel, who raised his eyebrows. "Reice said to tell you, Thorn, go back now and put something on, and Fiona, that you look great."  
  
As Thorn mock-pouted, Fiona laughed, then asked, "And how did she know to say that?"  
  
"I know you two too well, by the sounds of it!" They heard her before they saw her, as Reice was...well, in a stunning outfit. You know those dresses that people can only pull off when royalty, or on T.V? Well, Reice was pulling one off, at a gang's party: it was a black dress, tight at the top, and then at the thighs, it turned into a skirt sort-of thing, lightly billowing out to her ankles, where she had (cute!) sandal type shoes, with straps that wound around her leg to the knee.  
  
"Wow."  
  
She grinned, and dipped a curtsey, ignoring the catcalls others sent her way.  
  
"Stunning. Hey, what about your belly?" Fiona was right; Reice looked normal size, not starting to show as she had before...  
  
"I got some tips from old friends, there's a few ways to hide it, until it's there and not leaving, then you show it off as much as you can!"  
  
Fiona tipped her head to one side, thinking, and then asked, "So, what are these tips?"  
  
Reice smirked, flicking her on the nose. "When your time comes, I'll tell you."  
  
Fiona scowled, complaining, "But I want to know, and I'm *certainly* not getting pregnant any time soon...that's not fair!"  
  
"Then you don't need to know, if you're not going to need it!"  
  
Poking out her tongue at Reice, Fiona found herself being dragged around, and introduced to anyone and everyone around. By about eleven, the younger people started to leave, and Fiona made the accident of sitting down.  
  
"Fiona, want to get a...Fiona?" O'Connel stared at her, and then burst out laughing.  
  
"What?" Thorn, who had been talking to some others, had arrived at that moment.  
  
"She's asleep."  
  
"Asleep?"  
  
"Asleep. Should we wake her?"  
  
Thorn's answer was in mock question, dripping of sarcasm, "Hm, let's think. Would you have liked for someone to wake you after your first day here?"  
  
O'Connel smiled slightly, and asked, "Then what'll we do with her?"  
  
"Ah, I'd carry her, but yeah, Reice is pregnant, you're not allowed in her room, or even her floor level. How do we get her there?" They stood in thought, wondering how they'd go about getting Fiona to her bed, when Thorn saw a familiar grey haired guy pass...  
  
"Raven!"  
  
He stopped, turned, and gave her a look that said, What?  
  
"Hey, Fiona fell asleep, and I can't lift her, O'Connel isn't permitted to go into her room, or her floor level, could you please give us a hand?"  
  
An eyebrow rose, and he spoke to Thorn for the first time. "Asleep?"  
  
"Yeah, she's all worn out. Can you?"  
  
He shrugged, allowing Thorn to lead him over. After he looked at her for a short time, Raven scooped Fiona into an undignified lift, over his shoulder, and headed for the building.  
  
"There." Placing her down on the bed, Raven smirked when she rolled over, nearly out of bed. He pushed her back into the middle, and watched her briefly, before leaving an astonished Thorn in the doorway.  
  
She removed Fiona's shoes, mumbling, "I didn't even think he'd agree...he watched her...talked to me..."  
  
*~**~*  
  
Fiona gasped for breath, and pulled her legs even closer to her chest. It was Saturday, and she was sitting under a tree outside, oblivious to anything. Her cheeks were stained with dry tears, hours ago she had ran out, now she was just sitting there, thinking, sobbing.  
  
Why? Why had it happened like this?  
  
Memories of that morning came unbidden into her thoughts...  
  
// It was morning, at breakfast, and though worn out, everybody was eager, anticipating. Fiona was with them, wondering what her first Zoids lesson here would be like.//  
  
Fiona sighed, wondering if she'd ever feel that type of enthusiasm now...she felt so empty...alone...  
  
//She was inside a Command Wolf, with a teacher yelling at her what to do through the communications link.... She was speeding around a bowl track, feeling the blood rush through her veins, feeling alive for once, seeing the track zoom by gave her a sense of security, of home...//  
  
She felt that rush again, but now, it only made her feel worse, it just wasn't right, how...?  
  
//The teacher was yelling at her, but she wasn't listening. She was giving the now parked Command Wolf a longing look, just one more lap...//  
  
She remembered that longing as though it was years ago, not hours...so much had changed...  
  
//She was talking to Thorn, then felt someone touch her shoulder. Spinning around, she came face to face with Karl...//  
  
She felt that painful twinge in her guts, the one that reminded that as a mortal, she could be broken very easily, by only a few words...  
  
//Karl was looking at her, crying unashamedly as he talked, but she wasn't listening. She...she was dumped? No more Karl? Suddenly, her whole world was spinning, and as she fell, she managed to make out Karl running away...//  
  
The last time she'd seen him...even his memory could finish her off now, she was on the verge of a breakdown, or possibly way past it...  
  
//She woke up, and saw that she was in her room, but as she sat up, Thorn and Reice bombarded her with questions, then she remembered, Karl, gone.... It had been too much, so somehow she had gotten out, away, and after a good hearty weep, she looked around, with hollow, withdrawn, dead eyes, to find herself under that tree....//  
  
The tree, where she had found herself hour ago, where she was now.  
  
Why? Why had he dumped her? What had she done? It was her fault. It had to be. But what was it? But as the day settled into night, Fiona's mind could only replay those memories, again, and again, and again, and again...  
  
"Fiona?"  
  
She blinked, still deep in her thoughts, to see O'Connel in front of her, looking worried.  
  
"Fiona? Are you alright?"  
  
She shrugged, wondering what he'd do.  
  
"I...are you sure? I was walking past ages ago, and you were up here, and you're still here. Is everything all right?"  
  
Fiona sighed deeply, no, nothing was all right, but decided to play along, she didn't need the others to be worried about her. Trying to speak, she found her mouth parched, and throat dry, so nodded instead, and slowly stood, ignoring all her sore limbs. She left then, headed for her room, and some time alone, leaving a very confused O'Connel behind.  
  
Fiona ended huddled up on the floor, in the shadows, without any lights on, staring at the wall, deep in thought as she had been before.  
  
*~*  
  
It was ten the next morning, and after not showing for breakfast, Fiona became the first in history, excluding those with serious injuries, to miss a Zoids lesson. Thorn, after her turn, was sent to look for Fiona, and, of course, checked her room first, finding the girl on the ground, in the shadows, staring mindlessly at the wall, her legs pulled up to her chest, looking almost dead.  
  
Thorn gasped, and ran over. "Fiona, are you alright?!"  
  
The girl didn't respond, apart from raising her cold gaze to Thorn's.  
  
"Fiona... I'll get Karl, he'll-"  
  
"No!"  
  
This startled Thorn. The girl who had been longing to see Karl was rejecting an offer to be near him? "Why? Did something happen?"  
  
"He..." Fiona's voice broke, and it was then that Thorn saw how bad Fiona looked.  
  
Her eyes were red and puffy, with big marks under them from lack of sleep, and her eyes that normally would shine with so much happiness were...dead, gone, and empty.  
  
"He...dumped..."  
  
"He dumped you?"  
  
Slowly, Fiona nodded, still sitting there as Thorn enclosed her into a warm hug. "Oh! Fiona, you're frozen!" Her only response was a shrug, and to see Fiona's gaze back on the wall, lifeless. Thorn left to get a blanket, and some help.  
  
*~*  
  
"Fiona?" It was Monday, and though she hadn't bothered to show up to breakfast, Fiona had managed to arrive at her class, gym, which was mainly sprints. She spent the whole lesson by herself, sprinting around the track, ignoring any tiredness she felt, emotions were lost on her, Fiona's mind and heart were so full of emotions that a little tiredness had no effect whatsoever.  
  
At morning tea, Fiona left to go outside, gazing over the grounds until the bell warned her of the next class, sword.  
  
Raven was there, waiting for her.  
  
Without a word, the two resumed her training, Fiona not even flinching when her hands slid from position, and Raven whacked them. Fiona didn't notice anything, not Raven's smirk, not how the teacher kept glancing over at her, not at how the whole class stopped for a few minutes to watch, nothing.  
  
*~*  
  
Kickboxing came next, but Fiona didn't show for that, she was in her room and hadn't heard the bell. After lunch, where Fiona had sat under the tree again, it was time for archery.  
  
Her first lesson had been all positioning, all because she couldn't hold the bow steady, and her arms had ached. Now, she couldn't even tell that her arms disagreed with her actions, no matter how loudly, and so Raven started her on targets.  
  
She let the first arrow fly. It missed the board by a few inches, and her next shot landed on the outside ring.  
  
Raven adjusted her stance, showed her ways to judge where it would go, all without speech from either of them.  
  
By the end, Fiona had one bull's eye, and nearly every other was close to it.  
  
They had a break, then Fiona was due in history class. Instead, she returned to the now familiar tree, sitting like she had before, knees up to her chest, thinking. She heard the bell for dinner go, but ignored it, not realising she was hungry, still not listening to her body's protests to any movement she made, not noticing that her legs were stiff, and her arms were screaming.  
  
*~*  
  
Irvine sat up late that night. It was Monday, but he'd been doing some serious thinking lately, and the night before, he'd come to a conclusion: He should have dumped Dom a long time ago.  
  
Why? Because he hadn't believe in their relationship. Pure lust didn't get far, and it wasn't healthy.  
  
But then Irvine remembered what had happened when he went to tell Dom, and how he had reacted...  
  
//He glanced over at Dom. "Ah, Dom, can I walk the rest of the way?"  
  
Domitan shrugged, then pulled over.  
  
"Also, Domitan, I think we have to stop this, it isn't going to work, so...."  
  
He watched as this sunk in, then cringed as Dom smiled, and unlocked the door for him. "Fine. Go. Good bye."  
  
"Um...bye."//  
  
Irvine sighed. Was that all he was? Some guy's toy? An object that could be forgotten, or forfeited...and it wouldn't matter?  
  
*~*  
  
Thorn was worried sick by Wednesday. It had been over four days since Fiona had eaten, yet she didn't seem to even notice it, she hadn't spoken to anyone, either, but in her lessons, Fiona was far beyond anyone, her defences effective by the fact that she didn't even feel any pain if she messed up, and her attacks were fuelled with an anger she never had before. Reice shared her fears, as did O'Connel, and they were talking about it, outside at lunch on Wednesday, when Raven approached.  
  
Thorn ignored him, and O'Connel didn't know what to do, but Reice turned to him. "Raven." He stared at her, and she knew that was all the response she'd get. "About Fiona. I know that you enjoy her being a perfect student and all, but if she doesn't eat soon, she'll starve, but she doesn't even appear to know she's hungry. She hasn't slept at all, hasn't eaten or anything but thought and trained."  
  
Raven waited for Reice to let it all out. Even though he was a quiet guy, he knew that she needed to say this, then answered the unasked question, "I'll talk to her."  
  
Reice bowed her head slightly to him, murmuring, "Thank you, Raven."  
  
He shrugged, walking off.  
  
*~*  
  
None of them knew what it was he said to her, but the next day she joined them for breakfast, not talking, but eating all the same. Friday morning, Thorn was startled by Fiona, who she had seen grab breakfast and sit next to O'Connel and Raven like normal, but she saw Fiona engage them in conversation, startling O'Connel so badly he choked. Thorn smiled, and returned her attention to her friends, who were just glad to see her happy again.  
  
*~*  
  
Class went as planned that day, Fiona went to basics, then gym.  
  
After gym, it was sword practice.  
  
Fiona picked up her practise staff, after a quick five-minute break Raven had granted her for water, and readied herself for the endless training. "Strike one high, two mid, three low, change, block one high, two mid, three low, change!"  
  
All of a sudden, he stopped talking, but she didn't notice. His voice was in her head saying what he had been.  
  
A sharp nudge got her attention, and Fiona quickly blocked another attack to her legs, then head. "Good. You were aware."  
  
'No I wasn't...' Fiona smirked at this thought, but kept it to herself. If he wanted to believe she wasn't away in her thoughts, good on him.  
  
Raven lowered his practise staff to the ground, and then returned his attention to her. "Sword technique."  
  
He showed her how to stand, marked where the sword hilt would be, and all the little things to improve her. While doing so, he was for the first time, talking first in a conversation. "So, you've told your friends?"  
  
"Uh, I told you." She did her best to keep from being preoccupied by thoughts of her now ex-boyfriend, and watched as he mirrored her stance, then took a swipe at an invisible enemy.  
  
Imitating his movement, she asked, "I told you, and I think I mighta told Thorn, can't remember."  
  
"Are you going to tell them all, or just your close friends?" It was more of a statement then a question, making Fiona feel something weird from Raven, he never talked this much, and when he did, it never had this sort of...guard about it...but she shrugged off his inquiry, deciding to take advantage of his speaking instead.  
  
"So, Raven, what've you been up to? In this gang, I mean?"  
  
"In the gang?" He contemplated this for a moment, then answered ever- so-casually, "Not much, just training and shit."  
  
Hn, she hadn't known he swore. But he was the leader of a gang, it was to be kind of expected, wasn't it? "What else? I mean, I've got no idea what you're into and stuff, I hardly know you."  
  
"Few know me." With this answer, Fiona felt a pride swell, it had sounded like he was battling himself to tell her. She was getting through to him! Thinking of another thing to say, always trying to get him talk in the past, and now he was she was out of things to say, Fiona was bet to it.  
  
"So, are you going to tell your old friends? Moonbay and Van and them."  
  
She froze, earning herself a whack in the middle, but didn't notice it. She had to tell them, didn't she?  
  
*~**~*  
  
Soooo........... Oh!! I nearly 4got!! Sorry Taltos!! ^^  
  
Ahem, Ladies and Gentlemen, *coughyeahrightcough*, I would like to give, um, half of the credit for this chapter, and probably most of the ones to come, to Taltos.  
  
She has been oh-so kind enough to take what I had, and shape it into something understandable!!! Couldya tell the difference? Bet ya could!!  
  
Nah, she basically beta'd this, a lot, so let's all give her a round of....... well, applause won't do much, so thank her in a review!!! *hint- hint-nudge-nudge*  
  
-Dark_lil_Devil 


	7. Chapter 7

Ok, might b a little short compared to the others, but you deserve it, 'cause I thought I posted all of this AGES ago...... bad me......stupid FF.net it's all their fault!!!  
  
*~*  
  
Moonbay was at her house, pulling her boots on, yelling out, "And Maryanne, you can do anything, but don't play with fire blah, blah, blah. You want me to make you some food before I go?"  
  
The reply she got led her to the kitchen, "Ahead of you, sis,"  
  
Where she found her little sister standing by the bench, chip and marmite sandwiches spread across two plates.  
  
"Angel!"  
  
Moonbay laughed a little when the girl scowled at the pet name Moonbay insisted on using, and passed her a plate, then started to eat as fast as she could. Swallowing the last bit, Moonbay announced, "I'll be late if I don't go now, so see ya, have fun, and make sure not to burn the house down or anything, 'k?"  
  
"Deal!" The little girl smiled adorably at Moonbay, who smiled back, and left for her job.  
  
*~*  
  
"I'm back!" Moonbay slammed the door, throwing her keys somewhere.  
  
Oh well. She'd find them later.  
  
Moonbay found her sister on the couch, watching some anime programme where the people didn't look half-human. "Maryanne."  
  
"Yeah, sis?" The girl didn't even lift her gaze from the television, but Moonbay knew she was listening.  
  
"Now, what have I told you about anime in this house?"  
  
"That it must only look like people, must be believable, and good enough for me to get hooked into a write a good fic about."  
  
"Correct, so what the...what's this?"  
  
The little girl shrugged her shoulders, bringing up the sky guide. "I don't know...hey, do you like Gundam Wing?"  
  
"Is it on?"  
  
"Yeah, that's the one with the five guys, right?" Moonbay nodded, and took a seat beside her sister.  
  
The older girl was laughing, all four ponytails shaking, some time later, about something a character in DBZ had done, when the phone rang. "Maryanne, can you get that?"  
  
Her sister nodded, and a moment later, shoved the cordless phone at her, "It's Irvine."  
  
"Yello?"  
  
"Hey Moonbay, that your sister?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Cute kid." Moonbay wasn't really listening though, she was laughing at another thing on T.V. "Moonbay?"  
  
Something in his tone caught her out, she stopped paying her attention to the television, and all of focus turned to Irvine. "Yeah? What's wrong, man?"  
  
"I...I want to ask you something." Never had she heard that amount of seriousness in his voice before, this must be important....  
  
She heard a beeping on her end of the phone; someone else had called. "Hey Irvine, can you hold on to that for a moment? Someone's on the other line." Clicking over before she got an answer, Moonbay asked more then greeted, "Hello?"  
  
"Hey Moonbay, it's me."  
  
"Fiona? What's wrong? Are you sick, or have you been crying?" Moonbay was worried. Her friend's voice was raspy, dehydrated, even through the phone.  
  
"Yeah, ah, Moonbay, I haven't got long I just wanted to tell you, Karl broke up with me."  
  
Moonbay gasped, but before she could ask anything, or offer sympathy, Fiona hung up. Sighing, Moonbay flicked back to Irvine. "You there?" She knew her voice was quiet, sad, but couldn't get it back to normal, so ignored it.  
  
"Yeah, who was that?"  
  
"Fiona. Hey, have you seen Karl lately?"  
  
"No, not recently, why?"  
  
"Nothing, what did you want to tell me before?"  
  
"Ah, forget it, it's not important..." He had the air of someone with a big problem, who wanted desperately for help, but couldn't bring themselves to ask for it.  
  
"Hey, it's always important, what is it?"  
  
"I'm...Moonbay, I don't know if you know this, but, uh...I'm-gay-and- going-out-with-Domitan-but-not-anymore-he's-a-guy-who-only-has-a- relationship-for-the-sex-side-of-it-and-I'm-not-like-that-I-wanted-to-break- it-off-with-him-so-I-did-and-he-didn't-care-just-drove-off-and-now-I-don't- know-how-much-I-meant-to-him-at-all-like-I'm-that-worthless-I-don't-know-I- need-your-help-but-'cause-I'm-gay-you'll-probably-hate-me..."  
  
While she was still registering this one massive sentence, he hung up. He willed with all his might for it to ring, for it to be Moonbay asking what he had been saying because she must have misunderstood...and they'd all be back to normal.  
  
It did ring, but she wasn't saying that she'd misunderstood...she was telling him that Domitan was a freak, and that she'd go and give him a piece of her mind later. ...But now she'd go over to Irvine's place and make sure he was all right...that it was fine to be down after a relationship ended, even a short one, and of course you grow attached to calling that person your boyfriend.  
  
*~*  
  
Fiona hung up on Moonbay, and sighed, leaning against the door. She was in a pay-phone booth, not wanting to give Moonbay the opportunity to ring back. Grabbing her change, she swung the door open, smiled at the old lady that had been waiting for the phone, and started to walk back.  
  
It was Saturday morning, and she was in no hurry.  
  
The others were all at Zoids training, but she hadn't shown again, it was still too painful. Every time she saw a zoid she was reminded of Karl, and felt a strong urge to strangle the person that had reminded her.  
  
Karl.  
  
Why had he dumped her? It had been a week, and she still didn't know.  
  
Why?  
  
What had she done, what had happened to make him not like her? She didn't know, and that was what hurt the most; she didn't know what she'd done to deserve this, making it harder to accept. Fiona thought about this, and was surprised when she looked ahead to se the buildings of her destination.  
  
Hadn't she been at least an hour's walk away?  
  
True enough, when she checked her watch, the time was an hour past when she had started walking. She shrugged. No matter. Entering her room, Fiona dropped her bag on the ground, and flopped down onto the bed, hoping a little sleep would help her mind out.  
  
Sadly, she never found out, as she never got any sleep.  
  
"Fiona."  
  
"Ah! What the hell...Raven, what the fuck are you doing in here?" Fiona had been startled, but when she saw that Raven had been sitting at her desk, she lay back down, and closed her eyes again.  
  
"I'm here to get you, where'd you go?"  
  
"I went into town to phone Moonbay and tell her..........you know."  
  
"About Karl?"  
  
A nod.  
  
"Well, there are phones here...?"  
  
"I didn't want to tell it in front of the people here, and she'd ring back..."  
  
"So you used a payphone?"  
  
Another nod.  
  
"Understandable. But now we've got to train, so get up."  
  
"Train?"  
  
"You've got to learn how to pilot a Zoid regardless, so I'm going to teach you, in my zoids."  
  
"Your zoids?"  
  
Fiona cracked her eyes open to look at Raven, who nodded.  
  
"What zoids do you have?"  
  
"A lot, but you're stuck with the Command Wolf for now."  
  
"Aww, I was hoping for a Lightning Saix."  
  
Little did she know, he'd actually listen to her.  
  
"Raven, why are we standing in front of a Lightning Saix?"  
  
He shrugged. "I'll give it to you if it makes you learn how to pilot it."  
  
She squealed excitedly, and threw her arms around Raven, then jumped in the cockpit. Buckling herself in, Fiona started it up.  
  
A link popped up, showing Raven from another Lightning Saix. "Now, if you ease your foot off the break, and onto the go pedal, after letting the handbrake off..."  
  
Within ten minutes, Fiona was racing around Raven's own zoid track, with him at her side, easily keeping up, "Wow, this is soooo cool, thank you Raven!!"  
  
"Watch out for the corner!"  
  
~~~  
  
Yeah, I had to end it here, to cute!!!  
  
Ahem, review and you'll get more chaps!! Hopefully.  
  
-Devil 


	8. Chapter 8

Title; Facing Problems

Author; DarklilDevil

Disclaimer; I own….. HOLY CRAP!!! STOP THE CLOCK! (Clock?) I OWN ANIME! Yes, deprived little me got the first five eps of .hackSIGN , and the movie Spirited Away. This rox! Obviously, if I owned a whole programme, and the rights to it, blah, blah, blah, you'd know about it!

Warnings; Well, I think the swearing get a bit bad in here… but these are very frustrated characters I'm dealing with… I'd be doing a lot more then swearing. I'd be hurting whoever was hurting me… But yeah, that's me

Pairings; Fiona/? Karl, Raven, some random I go to school with? Who knows. Frankly, I don't. I don't think…?

Note; Oh yeah, this is in diary format, (I think?), so sorry if it bothers you. I was stuck.

Now, my apologies;

I AM SO SORRY! I'M NOT DEAD, I SWEAR!! (Ducks flying objects) I understand if you won't review any more… but I am SO SORRY!!!

****

Saturday,

Dear Diary,

This morning, when I was in the cafeteria, O'Connel asked me something.

He asked if I was all right.

Now, seeing as how I have no injuries, I had to guess that he was talking about my feelings, but I couldn't figure out why.

Anyway, I asked why they wouldn't be alright, and he just said, "Why don't you tell me?"

I said I didn't know what he was talking about, and he went into this speech, like he'd rehearsed it, about being my friend, and being there to help me. And then, asked if I'd tell him what was wrong, or did he have to ask Raven?

I told him that Karl dumped me, and after he got over the shock, he decided that was why I was depressed.

Depressed? Me? Since when?

He told me that even Raven had been worrying about me, and that kinda shocked me a little, but said guy sat down.

Anyway, what he had to tell me was even more shocking then the thought of O'Connel thinking I was depressed.

He told me that the time limit was up. I had to go away for veer, or become a true member.

I asked when I had to get an answer to him by, and so now, I have to have one by Monday. Joy.

I got up, and ran to my room, having a good cry. What? It's good to cry now and then. It is!

But, I have to ask....

Why?

Why am I so sad?

All the bad things have happened to me here... I lost Karl, I've been worked nearly to death... But I still don't want to go. I don't want to stay, either.

What the hell do I want?

Anyway, I went to the tree after my cry, thinking again.

Why can't I decide?

I can barely remember what it's like to not be here, how could I choose to stay if it's better out there?

Or what if it's terrible out there, and I go, and hate it, but can't come back?

Damn, what I need is to see what it's like.

So, I came to a conclusion.

Guess what?

Raven and I are going back to my old place, for a week.

But when I rang Moonbay to tell her, the person who answered the phone was a guy, an adult.

Turns out her parents are home for a while.

It was a bit hard to talk to her, as there wasn't much to say, but then I told her, and wow.

It's like I'd been away for ages.... Oh wait. I have.

She asked when I'd get there, and I figure that tomorrow evening would be the latest. Then she asked how I'd get there, and I hadn't thought of that. After nearly two seconds of thinking, I said that I'd hitchhike or something.

Bad idea.

So now, Raven will drive me there, and back.

I dunno what he's gonna do while I'm there, 'cause the others probably will blame him for something.

They always have before.

Heh, Moonbay doesn't like her parents. At all. Her mum, apparently, found her CD collection, didn't like the look of all of it, and threw it out.

But not before snapping them all in half.

Moonbay was positively fuming. She had about two hundred CD's that she'd been saving for since I met her, and before even that.

Her dad's good enough, he hasn't destroyed anything of Moonbay's, but has forbidden her to have Van around.

Turns out Van made a great first impression.

Showed up in a car of random people, shirtless, and just wandered in. I'm not too sure, but I think her mum found Van in the bathroom, getting something for his hangover.

Must've been to a killer party.

But, how could Moonbay hate her parents?

At least she has some.

My parents just went and left me.

Even before the crash, they ignored me.

Now I live off what they left behind, and what the state provides for me.

Every week, there's a lady that's supposed to check up on me, make sure I'm being healthy and so on, but told her I was going with a friend on vacation, so she's fine.

But… I miss my parents.

Those two people, despite the arguing, and the fights, the shattered plates, I miss them.

They were the ones who raised me, and I could live with the stress, if I had to. I want them back.

But no, that stupid bloody driver had to speed, in the rain, down a one-way street. So my parents are gone.

So what?

I'm still me.

Little, lonely, abandoned me.

At that point, tears were splattering the pages, so Fiona closed it, and threw herself stomach first down onto the bed.

It was true.

She was alone, and without Karl, she had no one, only her friends.

But she needed someone to take care of her, love her.

Karl had been the closest she'd gotten.

Now he was gone, too.

****

Sunday, 4: 28 p.m.

Dear Diary,

Well, I spoke to Reece before, asked if she wanted to come, but she didn't, not wanting the others to see her pregnant.

I figure they've all guessed by now, well, maybe not Van, but I don't want to be mean here, he's just a bit... slow on the uptake.

So, now I figure that either she's as slow as Van, which she isn't, or one of our friends is the father.

I'll have to think about that later on.

I'm still not doing weekend Zoid lessons, but I'm not sure of the reason for that any more. I mean, every time they're mentioned, I feel pain, but it's lightening up. I find that since Raven still demands to teach me, it's more of an excuse to be with him.

I wonder... if... maybe I like him.... But I know, for sure, that if I could, I'd have Karl over Raven, any day.

That's what confuses me.

Shouldn't I hate Karl for doing that?

Without even giving me a reason.

Right now, Raven and I are driving in silence.

Well, the radio's on, but it's been silent for twenty-three minutes.

Me, picky? Never.

I don't know what to do when we get there.

I can tell it's not going to be easy, 'cause I know that I can't expect them to ditch Karl, and they won't ditch me, (hopefully), so we're gonna meet somewhere.

Ugh, this is giving me a headache.

Wednesday,

Dear Diary,

Well, again, I'm in the car with Raven, but this time, I'm highly pissed off.

Notice that the date is Wednesday, the third day. Well, the reason for my going back early is simple: I couldn't take it.

Irvine was being such an arsehole. All right, so Moonbay was saying that the guy Dom and him have been going on and off for a while, but really, pity only goes so far.

Get over it.

Heh, I'm such a hypocrite. Oh well.

Van surprised me, he's much smarter now, but that's in a bad way, I think. Not matter what's said, he manages to find a smart-arse comment to accompany it.

It gets frustrating.

Moonbay's been very tense, with her parents, (who disapprove of me, because I'm a "punk," Irvine because he's "different," and Van because of a whole list of things I'm either unwilling to repeat, or unwilling to know), Moonbay's sister, Mary-Anne, is with her, and Van's been hassling her, making Moonbay spin out...

And then there's Karl.

That fucking arsehole had the nerve to tell me to get him a drink, calling me all these names like 'babe' and 'beautiful'.

He fucking broke up with me, and now he's acting like I broke up with him.

I'm getting too upset over this... deep breath...

Anyway, I got so high-strung that Irvine and I had a screaming fight in the middle of the road. It just happened to turn a bit violent, but I swear I would have won if that cop car hadn't pulled up.

I now have a criminal record.

Something about domestic fighting. I think the police thought Irvine and I were the ones who broke up. In a way, we did, but with other people.

Oh well, I'm gonna ponder what my answer will be now.

I'm either going to leave… and see Karl all the time… never knowing… or I can fight...and I'll get to see Raven.

Hm.

I wonder. (eye roll)

What a no-brainer.

But still, I want to keep in touch with my friends... but maybe when there's MUCH less stress. MUCH LESS.

Replies;

gundam06serenity

Woah, take a deep breathe, it's updated.

Alla' my stories? I'm deeply honoured! I wanna read all of your story's, but I've only read three so far… I'll get there… and hopefully remember to review… Oh, and YOU can update now! Hah!

Kitty! (fionaangel1aol.com)

Thankx! I agree, but if someone reads this, and enjoys it, that's all I care about!

Taltos;

Some old, same old, Thank you for your help, and I haven't been in contact with you as much as I've wanted to, but that's writers block for you. My brother admitted that he cursed me. Now, to curse him with car troubles… not that he needs my help…

Dianne;

I sense some hostility towards Karl…? Thank you for reviewing, it's helping me to get past this enormous block…

**Rave-Art****;**

I seriously doubt my story is the best, but if you like it, that's all that matters! The readers happiness! And my self-esteem.

Sarah;

Thank you very much. Well, this counts as an update, doesn't it? Oh well, thank you and goodnight!

Devil

(Any idea's welcomed with open arms)


	9. Chapter 9

**

* * *

Facing Problems

* * *

**

The clanking of feet echoed from the hallway, growing louder as they neared a door, stopped, and then said door was flung open. "Hey! I'm back!"

A gasp sounded as the door was left hanging open, rusty hinges screeching in protest. The intruder entered, burdened by a single bag, and grinned at the person who was currently having a heart attack.

"Fiona! You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing back? I thought you were gone 'till the end of the week?"

"Um, it didn't go too well. But enough of that, did you miss me?"

A sigh was heard, and then a very depressed voice moaned, "Yeah. Baby here's been kicking madly, can't wait to get out of me."

"Oh, how long have you got left, Reese?"

"Two weeks, but I could be premature, or late. The first is unpredictable, apparently."

Sitting on the bed, bag discarded at the door, the blonde placed a hand on the swollen stomach. "Oh! It kicked! How cute!"

Pouting in self-pity, the not-as-enthusiastic girl leant against the headboard, swinging her legs onto the bed. "Yeah? How would you like to have to shoot this... watermelon, out of your body?"

Making sympathetic noises, Fiona moved behind her, then started to massage the other girl's shoulders. "You've been given time to mope while I've been gone, haven't you? You're tense. You haven't been working out." Leaning over, she flicked her friend on the nose. "Naughty Reese. I'll have to be looking after you, and your kid, if you keep this up."

"You're welcome to it."

It may have been only an off-hand, muttered comment, but Fiona heard it, and embarked on a long speech.

* * *

The next morning was normal, meaning it complied with her routine. Cold shower, black clothes, cold food, and then classes.

What her peers noticed was that her mood was considerably worse then normal, going from happy to depressed in record time, only for the simple mention of anything related to her friends.

In her time there, Fiona had made quite a few friends, but found herself wishing she hadn't, wishing that she was a quiet, impolite, stoic, and all-together hated, however, she wasn't. This being so, the blonde found herself enduring endless questions of her whereabouts, each and every one of them painful to her.

* * *

By morning tea, Fiona collapsed into her seat, throwing a simple ham roll down in front of her. "I'm not going to be attending my lessons today, Raven, so you might as well go help someone else."

The mentioned teen merely nodded, staring at his beef roll.

O'Connell had to know why, though, not understanding, and to his own naïveté, managed to pester her, enough that she went off at him. Trying to hold back from maiming the unknowing guy, Fiona managed to answer coldly, "It's my business! For your own sake as much as mine, shut up!"

He stared as the teenage girl left the room, presumably heading for the tree she had been seen so many times under, and then he turned to Raven. "I don't suppose you know what that was about?"

The grey-haired teen nodded slightly, meanwhile inhaling his beef and chilli sauce bun, in a most impolite manner.

"Well, what was it about?"

"Maybe she didn't have such a great time at her friend's place. Maybe she doesn't want to remember it." Finishing the last of his food, Raven stood, leaving in the same direction Fiona had gone, only he was carrying her abandoned food in his right hand.

Um, what have I missed?

Leaving the table, O'Connell sat at another one with his friends, immersing himself into their world, where the sole topic of conversation was the upcoming party.

"I heard the whole place will be open for us, so the guys can go to the girls' rooms, and visa versa."

"I heard that the dancing is inside, the drinking outside."

"They're hiring out a DJ, one that's not too bad."

"Yeah, he's meant to have some psycho name, that's been shortened to Smash."

"I heard it was DJ Smash, that British actor, from that movie, you know, with the guns?"

"There's got to be thousands of movies with guns, Vicki. Think before you speak, idiot."

"Oh. Right. I heard there's going to be unlimited alcohol."

"There always is."

"You can invite anyone you want to, even different gangs, as long as they have no grudges."

"Hey, O'Connell, are you inviting anyone?"

Answering that with a no, his friends weren't into these sorts of parties, O'Connell was suddenly depressed that his friends had ditched him, for the sole reason that he had joined the gang.

* * *

Black. Empty. Nothingness. If only life was like this, always the same, yet always different. The wonderful feeling of nothing left when a hand jolted her eyes open. "Huh?" Turning, Fiona opened her eyes, emerging from her daydream to face violet eyes. "Raven?"

Feeling something pressed into her hand, she glanced down, shocked to find her untouched ham roll. "Why...?"

The mysterious teen sat down, leaning against the tree, his eyes dilated as he looked into the sky, seeing but not seeing. "Eat. You need the energy."

"But I'm not going to class..." Protesting feebly, she sat beside him, and unwrapped it anyway.

"If you're not going to class, I'll have to train you personally."

"What?"

The only answer was his eyes falling shut, giving off the impression of sleep, but what she knew for patient silence.

"Fine. Be like that..." Muttering to herself, the girl raised the meal to her lips, slowly devouring it.

* * *

It was late. She didn't know how late it was, as she had no watch, and had only just then gotten back. Judging by the silence of the building, it had to be late. Really late.

Entering the side hallway, one she hadn't been in before, she saw pay phones, and after a quick check of coins in her pocket, she walked across to the closest one, her steps short and tired. Sorting through her coins, the night sounds passed beyond her oblivion.

Crickets chirping, clock ticking. More crickets. Creaking of floorboards above.

Wait.

Clock ticking?

A quick evaluation of the room revealed what she had missed the first time: a large grandfather clock at the end of the hall.

Three a.m.

Snorting, she turned back to the phone, dialling. It rang for what seemed like forever, and just as she was ready to hang up, there was a sound, as if the phone was dropped, then, "'Lo?"

"Moonbay. It's Fiona."

"Fi'na? Wa' you doin' ringing me?"

"Look. I've been thinking about it, and there's a big party going down this weekend. Everyone's invited. If you can make it, that's sweet, if not, oh well. Oh, sorry about the time and all."

"Yeah, what's with the time?"

"Um, I was kind of thinking, and didn't notice what time it was."

"...Whatever. I'll see if I can hook up a ride. See you."

Hanging up, the blonde sagged against the wall, sharp breaths twisting in her chest. Calming down, the teen staggered up the hall, and then facing the stairs, she sighed, sitting down.

It was comfy enough here, anyway....

* * *

Fiona woke to the sound of feet, and the occasional soft bump. Did she want to get up, find out what all the commotion was? No, she wanted to sleep. Snuggling down into her blankets, gripping her pillow...No pillow. Who dared deprive her of the most essential sleeping implement?

Opening an eye, she discovered that not only was she deprived of her pillow, but her blankets, and even her bed.

After a while of sitting there shocked, she decided to get up, and staggered to her feet.

Making it to her room, ignoring the startled looks she got from the people she passed, Fiona flopped down onto her bed, snuggling in to the warm, comforting sheets.

* * *

Everything was black, and all that she could hear was a faint buzzing, becoming louder the more she concentrated on it. That buzzing became a shape, and the shape a person, slowly walking away.

The light hair, the confident and determined swagger...

"Karl!"

The figure turned around, and it was Raven that faced her, not Karl.

She gasped. "Raven?"

His mouth opened, and he was saying something, but it seemed to be a foreign language, and it all swam past her head.

"Karl? Raven? Someone?"

Getting a bit hysterical, she ran towards Raven, but when she got there, it wasn't him any more, it was Karl again. "Karl? What's happening?"

Again, she couldn't understand what was being said.

"What? I don't understand, what are you saying?!" Pulling on Karl's sleeve, Fiona suddenly found that he was big, really big. In fact, everything was big.

Examining herself, she found the body of a young child, not a teenager. "What's happening?!"

Looking up at Karl again, she saw not Karl, but...

"Daddy! Where have you been?"

The large man shook his head at her, his face one of disgust...and now she could understand every hateful thing that came from his mouth. "Get away from me, you little wench! You're just like her, aren't you, you skank? Get out of my house, you slut!"

He was pointing over her shoulder, and Fiona turned to see the front door, to her old house. "D-daddy, how could you say that?" She began to cry, big tears spilling over her cheeks.

Now, another figure joined them, a bottle of whisky in hand.

"Daniel, how dare you! I won't have you insult me and my daughter! Get out, you filthy good-for-nothing piece of shit!"

"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME NAMES UNDER MY OWN ROOF! GET OUT! JUST GET OUT OF MY HOUSE, THE BOTH OF YOU!"

"Daddy! Please..." Tears were streaming down her face, and Fiona found herself being dragged away by the lady, who was dangerously thin, and had too much makeup on. "Mummy, let me go! Daddy, please..."

"GET OUT!"

"You brat, let's go! Let go of him, we're going!"

"Mummy, Daddy..." Collapsing into sobs, the young girl curled into a ball, and found the people and house swirling, and slowly she was at the hospital.

"Mummy! Daddy!" A nurse was pulling her hand, prying her away from the still bodies of the two she had known since the beginning, the two that had brought her into the world.

"They're gone, Fiona, you have to leave now..."

Her tears were endless, and her heart was torn to shreds.

"Fiona, you have to let go.... Fiona, we have to go... Fiona... Fiona... Fiona!"

* * *

"Fiona!"

Her eyes flew open, and the blonde screamed, terrified.

"Hey! Shh, it's all right. You're all right..."

Slowly calming down, Fiona concentrated on the person, the one who had saved her from that nightmare. Or memories. "Raven... They're gone... No! They can't be... No...no..."

"Who?" He looked startled, but sat down on the bed when she started sobbing.

"My... My parents. They're gone!"

"Gone where?"

"Dead! I thought they were gone... But they killed each other. Raven.... Why didn't they tell me? Why!"

"Who?" He took her into his arms as she sobbed, not so quietly, and made soothing motions on her back.

"Everyone! The nurses... my foster parents... The school! Why didn't they tell me? I thought they were killed... B-b-but--" She paused for a shuddering breath, and hiccupped. "But they killed each other. I s-saw it!" She cried a little harder, and Raven waited patiently for it to pass, not saying a word.

Finally, she buried her head in his chest and whispered, "Dad, with a knife... He stabbed Mummy... She shot him in the head. I was screaming at them to stop... But they didn't listen. They never listened." Her voice became almost insubstantial. "Never."

* * *

A golden haze settled over the frostbitten grounds as the sun rose, not yet warming those awake to see it, but a beautiful sight all the same.

By the tree, two figures sat, leaning against the old trunk, one of them asleep, the other gazing disinterestedly at the old initials craved into the trunk as his hand ran through the sleeping girl's hair, enjoying the silky feeling.

Slowly, the girl slowly woke, blinking continuously in order to adjust her vision. "What? Where... Raven?"

The hand had long since retreated, and the guy seemed to find long past dates and initials engraved into the trunk extremely interesting.

She sat up, no longer leaning on the grey-haired person next to her, and stared at him. "How long have I been here? How long have you been here?"

Distress laced her voice, and he smiled slightly, letting that sight in itself calm her. "You fell asleep, so I stayed with you."

Still hazy from having just woken, she figured that the smile had been her own imagination, and mentally shrugged it off. "It's morning... Aren't you cold?" Shivering, the girl pulled the blanket around herself tighter, then noticed he was lacking even the threadbare blanket. Wordlessly, she threw half of it over him, and cuddled into his frame, stealing any heat he had to offer and warming herself.

After a moment's silence, they watched as Reece walked toward them, waddling with the struggle of going uphill with child, and then she started yelling at them.

"--WHAT WERE YOU BOTH THINKING, STAYING OUT HERE ALL NIGHT, COULD HAVE GOTTEN BADLY SICK, GET YOUR BUTTS BACK INSIDE RIGHT NOW--"

Raven stood, and held his hand out to Fiona, who took it, confused and still tired. While Reece continued her rant, he turned to her, a look in his eye that she had never seen in whole of his life. "I never knew you cared."

Stunned, the teen stopped mid-speech, and stared at him.

Had that been speech, in the form of sarcasm, from Raven?! And the look in his eyes, was that have been mischief

* * *

Resting against her door, noticing off-handed that the paint was peeling off by the handle, showing a puke-colour underneath the current white, Fiona sighed, and turned to face Raven. "So."

Raven tilted his head slightly, and smirked a little, deciding to answer the unasked question. "The party starts in four hours. You need to get ready."

Considering this, the blonde's forehead crinkled. So, she was to get ready for the party. But what was Raven doing there? "And?"

He shrugged, indicating for her to go inside. "I dunno."

"Well, I'll get ready, and you can go get ready."

"Did you invite anyone?"

She wasn't expecting this question from him, and she opened the door a little too far, wincing as the crack of it hitting the wall echoed through the hall. "Uh, Moonbay, and told her everyone could come."

"And?"

She sighed, walking in, and closed the door until there was only an inch of his face that she could see.

"You know that he's going to be here."

Even as she slammed the door, Fiona knew Raven was right. Karl would be here. Not under her invite, but somebody had definitely invited him. Sinking onto her bed, she ran a hand through her hair, surprised to find no knots at all.

How could her hair be knot-free, when she hadn't brushed it for hours?

Sighing, she ran her brush through it quickly anyway, then turned to face her clothing selections. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

It was a full moon that night, yet nobody took notice of this symbolic fact such as ignored it, oblivious as to what phase the moon was. The party was one of the largest yet, with different gangs making momentary peace, those who didn't were thrown out.

The party-goers spread out through the whole building and its perimeters, beer kegs scattered everywhere and large subwoofers, all connected to the one stereo, were placed conveniently so that no matter where a person would stand, they could hear the music quite clearly.

Fiona took no notice of this, as she stayed in her room, waiting until the last minute to have to join the others. She sighed, contemplating things she never knew she could, and straightening out her outfit of tight black pants with flares, and a black with small white lines, three-quarter sleeved, button-up top that hugged her in the right places. Getting frustrated, she kicked her bed, then clutching a throbbing toe decided to put on her shoes and go downstairs.

In her self-inflicted misery, all she saw was teens making out on the stairs, and heard noises from the rooms. She heard loud music that would give her a headache, saw nothing but the mess and drunken losers surrounding her as she walked outside, glancing around and eventually finding what she had been seeking, and dreading- her friends.

Walking slowly but purposefully, she strode across to the small group they made, and stood alongside them, giving a small, regretful, smile when they greeted her, and returning the hugs from Moonbay half-heartedly.

At some point, she was offered a beer, and unlike her normal response, she accepted it, sipping slowly at the beverage she had for so long been against. The disgusting tang slowly faded into something wonderful, and her second cup turned into her fourth, and then her sixth, then she lost count of them.

At some point Van had started dancing with her, and then Van had turned into Thomas, then O'Connell, and then faces that had no names. Exhausted, Fiona sat down, right there in the middle of her dancing, and waited for her eyes to catch up, laughing when she saw four concerned Irvines walk toward her.

"Hey 'o guys!"

"Uh, Fiona? You alright?"

"Am I alright? Are _you_ alright Irvine? There seems to be a lot of you now..." She burst out laughing at some unknown joke, scaring Irvine so much that he went to find someone who knew what they were doing.

* * *

As the four Irvines left, Fiona made to stand, and after four, or seven, she forgot what number she was up to, the blonde managed to stumble through the crowds of people. She tripped up because a bottle jumped out at her, and just as she fell, something countered gravity and pulled Fiona to her feet, only to have her lose her balance once he let go.

Glancing up, she smiled sloppily with recognition, before blinking furiously. "Sleepy. 'M gunna sleep now, 'k?" With that, the blonde teen gave up her battle, and faded into a drunken darkness, leaving the person holding her limp body.

* * *

Irvine hurried towards the small group of people that he knew. Spotting the blue pants and black top of his friend, he grabbed Moonbay's shoulder, wrenching her around. "What- Irvine! What the hell are you doing?"

"Fiona's drunk, she can't stand or anything, I need help dealing with her."

"Fiona?" The person that Moonbay had been conversing with immediately took interest, and ordered Irvine to take him to the drunk blonde, while Moonbay frowned at him. "Karl, do you think you should-"

"Moonbay, I don't care. Alright? It might be the alcohol, but I'm pretty sure that I just don't care any more. I want Fiona back. She's mine, and I love her. I can't stand the thought of her drunk!"

Moonbay's dark eyes widened as she marvelled at her friend's inherent stupidity. "Dude, what the hell was _that_? Have you considered that she might not want to see you?" But her helpful comments were wasted, as the two males had long since departed into the throngs of people, searching for a drunken blonde.

Sighing, Moonbay looked around for a familiar face, and once she spotted the ever-pregnant Reece, she strode over, hoping to engage in some sort of conversation.

* * *

The two guys were completely sober, frustrated, and lost. "This is where I left her! I swear! How could she have moved? She couldn't even stand properly!" Stressing out, Irvine craned his neck around the hordes of people, trying to catch a glimpse of blonde hair.

"How could I have let this happen...? Alright. We obviously can't find her from here. We need to find a base point, somewhere to look down from. Let's try inside, see if there's any windows from one of the upper levels."

The two males set off on their mission, shoving their way through groups of drunken people as they worked towards their goal.

* * *

Moonbay choked, gagging as she curled over.

Reece grabbed her shoulders, and whacked her on the back, as another person she didn't know took the smoke from her hand.

"Shit. _Shit._ This stuff is so _strong_!"

Standing up, Moonbay revelled in the affects of her last puff, giggling when the two Reeces scowled at her. "That stuff is bad for you. But...ooh! I miss it so much!"

"You're pregnant, so shame! And you too, other Reece."

Reece looked confused, and then shook her head, deciding that it was the effects of the drugs. She just rolled her eyes. "Man, I hate him. This massive party, and I can't drink, smoke, or anything! I'm so fat, and there's nothing that I can do but laze around."

"Dude, stop complaining. And what do you mean _him_?"

* * *

Irvine and Karl were both looking out of every window, trying their hardest to find blonde hair in the masses of black clothing and mainly dark hair.

"Can you see her yet?" Desperation laced Karl's voice as he scanned yet another section of the crowds.

* * *

Reece's voice dropped as she suddenly turned shy. "The father."

* * *

"No, I can't see any blondes, let alone her."

Irvine's worried eyes locked on to Karl's own green ones. Neither of them dared state what could be happening to her; to state it would be to confirm the possibility.

* * *

Moonbay's eyebrows raised curiously. "And he is?"

* * *

Replies;

gundam06serenity

I updated, and though you claim to update every week, I FINISH WHAT I START!! I've made many mistakes, like reading almost everything you've published, only to realise after that you won't finish them! It's annoying, 'cause I wanna know what happens!

And yes, Karl is being an asshole. That is his role, in my mind. Who knows what he seems to be when written down on paper, but up here in my mind, he's worse then Prozen… or maybe not. He is one of my favourite characters, so I don't know why he's evil.

I'll make you a deal. If you can update Gangs, The Black Rose, Shinigami's Secret, Those Foretold, What If, Outsider, Christmas Shopping and maybe Homeless, (I can't remember if you finished that one), then I'll try my hardest to update faster.

-Once a week. Snort-

Rave-Art

Yay, I updated again! What is it with you people and me updating? Well, to whatever evil force overtook your minds and made you all read this, I thank thee. And.. yeah. Thanks for reviewing!

Taltos

Cow, you have six .hack DVD's? I've only got one… pouts. I'm dying to know what happens, (they just kidnapped, or whatever you want to call it, the guy/girl Tsukasa? ! How could they end it there?), but I have to pay for what I buy, and I can only buy it at this pop-culture show thingy called Armegadon, (or something like it), and that's not 'till next year. I'm saving for that, and a game for my newly bought PS2. Figured it was time to get one of those, since I got a job. Finally.

You're the only person to review every chapter, did you know that? Just thought you should feel special.

-Devil


	10. Chapter 10

Fiona's mind was a blur of thoughts, sights and sounds. She could feel a body pressing against her side, supporting her. She could feel the ground moving a lot faster than she could stumble along with. She could hear booming music and voices screaming themselves hoarse.

She had no idea what was going on. Who was by her side. She couldn't think. Nothing made sense.

She loved it.

Her feet started scraping more, and she vaguely gathered that she was mounting some breed of stairs.

Then with a movement far too fast for her glazed vision to cope with, she was flung uncerimoniously onto something soft. Once her vision cleared, she managed to turn her head and gather enough wits together to realise that she was on a bed.

A faint click stunned her into realisation. A door was being locked. Suddenly, being completely immobile didn't look so appetising.

Then a figure was over her, blocking her vision, and she was being hit on the side of her face, strong and fast.

Her head reeled, her stomach twisted and she lost all feeling to nausea.

Slowly she regained enough of her wits to be aware once again. Her face was throbbing.

She saw the stranger in front of her, at the foot of the bed. He was removing his belt… Stepping out of his jeans…

Fiona could only stare, wide-eyed, her vocal cords frozen in fear. Her hands flapped uselessly, her wrists tightly pinioned to the rough wooden framework.

When had that happened? She thrashed against the bindings, to find it futile. She hadn't the strength in such an intoxicated state.

She was frozen in terror as she watched the now naked stranger climb onto the bed, to straddle her. He was silent, staring down at her with lust-filled eyes.

She felt more then saw her clothes being ripped apart, leaving her naked and chained to the bed with a stranger straddling her. It was when a calloused hand groped her chest, the other worming its way lower that she found her voice.

* * *

A blood-chilling scream torrented through the halls, right past two extremely worried males. One of them lifted his head, then dismissed it as a rather loud cymbol hit pulsing from the multiple subwoofers placed all around the buildings.

"We have to find her, Irvine. She could be in danger."

The other grimly nodded. "I'll check the grounds again. You check all the halls. Listen for anything strange."

Nodding to each other, the two guys seperated, jogging in their worries.

* * *

A well-known young male sat in his room, staring at the door distastefully. He wasn't too fond of large gatherings, and as such had retreated to his room in an attempt to wait out the horrid affair.

When a blood-curdling scream climbed under his door, he leapt to his feet, and yanked open his door, trying to locate the source.

* * *

After her scream, the man had covered her mouth with his own, preventing any form of alert for outsiders. Unfortunately for him, Fiona decided to thrash about on the bed, causing it to rock into the wall.

"Look you bitch, stop that-"

"Help! Please!"

SLAP.

Scream.

* * *

Right across the hall from him, what sounded like a bed hit the wall repeatedly, then Raven heard calls for help.

Instantly, he was at the door, kicking it in.

"Oh shit-"

Punch. Kick. Kick. Punch. Spit. Kick. Elbow. Knee to groin. Punch. Kick.

Snap. Broken leg.

"R…Raven?"

Unable to cover herself, and her mind too blurry to realise how exposed she was, Fiona watched in alarm as Raven had entered, and continued to pummel the stranger in a broken bloody heap on the ground.

The dark haired male sharply looked up at the bed.

"Fiona!"

"Oh Raven," Tears clouded her already dodgy vision. "He tried to rape me. He. He was going to… Who is he!"

Raven realised that Fiona would be of no help while she was going into shock, so he crossed over to the bed, untied her arms and removed his shirt, letting her use it to cover her body. Luckily it dropped to half way down her thighs, which was enough cover to get her to her own room.

He escorted the babbling shell-shocked blonde out of the room, down the hall, and to her own level. As they walked to her room, well, Raven walked, she got dragged along beside him, people around them stared in wonder. They couldn't be blamed for staring, as Fiona was wearing what appeared to be a nightshirt, and Raven was topless, ever the brilliant sight.

However, any comments were resolutely ignored, and finally Raven got to the door of Fiona's room.

"Fiona! Raven, what are you doing with her? What is she wearing?"

Studying Karl, Raven entered Fiona's room, depositing her on her bed, pulling the covers over her shaking body.

"Shueboltz. You will find a man on the floor in the room opposite my own. He's rather beaten up, with a broken leg at least. I found him attempting to rape Fiona."

Anger shone through the older male's eyes.

"I'll fucking kill him."

"No. We are going to settle Fiona in, make sure she's okay, then gather all of her friends, make sure they know she's okay, and send everybody else home. I'll get somebody else to deal with the filth that did this."

Karl nodded. "I'll go find Irvine- he's looking for Fiona as well. Then I'll get the group, and we'll meet here."

Raven shook his head. "No, Fiona needs to rest. Meet in Reeces' room. It's just down the hall."

Nodding, Karl gave a last longing look at Fiona and exited the room.

* * *

Reece watched Moonbay carefully for a reaction. She had just divulged to her the father of the baby. And Moonbay had started choking. And choking. And…

"Oh my God, Moonbay!"

Reece had seen it all before. Overuse of drugs… The horrible swelling of the throat, the lack of air, the blue tinge to the face.. The corpse keeling over sideways…

She grabbed the closest phone, and dialed 111. "My friend's choking, she's OD'd!"

While she talked to the lady who was sending an ambulance straight away, others noticed Moonbay's condition and were carrying her to the gates, trying to make it easier for the ambulance when it arrived.

* * *

Irvine was still searching for Fiona when he ran into Karl.

"Irvine, she's safe. Raven saved her. Long story. We need to get the others, and meet in Reece's room."

Nodding at the brief explanation, Irvine led Karl to where he knew Moonbay and Reece had settled.

…Only to find everybody screaming, most crying, and Reece running towards a crowd of people, distraught.

"Reece!"

The two guys sprinted to catch up with her, which wasn't hard as she was pregnant.

"What's going on!"

Reece turned to face them, tears streaming down her face.

"It's Moonbay! She was just having a smoke, then. Then."

"Oh God, no! She OD'd? Fuck!"

* * *

That's it. It's so hot I can't think. I'm melting. Screw you, summer. 


End file.
